Explosion Injures 3 South Korean Military Officers Inside DMZ Bordering North Korea
Three South Korean military officers were injured in an explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) bordering North Korea on Monday, with a landmine suspected to have caused the blast.
The explosion occurred around 10:50 am in the western section of the DMZ, south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), during a search and route-clearance operation, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. Two officers were evacuated by helicopter, while another was transported by road before being airlifted.
The JCS said the blast was highly likely to have been caused by a landmine, but investigators have yet to establish who planted it. Authorities are examining whether it was a mine laid by North Korean troops, a North Korean mine swept south by recent torrential rains, or an explosive previously planted by South Korean forces.
One officer suffered a severe ankle injury and underwent amputation surgery, while another sustained serious injuries. None of the three was considered to be in life-threatening condition. The helicopter evacuation was coordinated with the United Nations Command.
The incident comes amid growing concern over North Korea’s border fortification efforts. Pyongyang has been reinforcing fences, laying mines and installing anti-tank barriers along the MDL since April 2024. South Korea has also reported suspected North Korean activity near the demarcation line.
The blast occurred a day after North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea, according to South Korean and Japanese authorities, adding to tensions around the peninsula.
Such incidents have occurred before. In August 2015, three wooden-box mines attributed by Seoul to North Korea exploded on the South Korean side of the DMZ during a patrol, seriously injuring two South Korean soldiers. One lost both legs while the other lost an ankle. The incident sharply escalated tensions, with South Korea resuming loudspeaker broadcasts and North Korea firing artillery towards the South, prompting an exchange of fire.
The 2015 landmine blast similarly triggered a sharp escalation, with South Korea resuming loudspeaker broadcasts and the two sides exchanging artillery fire before reaching a deal days later to defuse the crisis.
The latest blast is also the first explosion inside the DMZ since November 2025, when a South Korean soldier suffered an ankle fracture during a mine-detection mission.
The DMZ is about 248 km long and 4 km wide and remains one of the world’s most heavily militarised borders. An estimated two million mines are scattered in and around the zone, many dating back to the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.