North Korea Denies Planting DMZ Mines That Injured Three South Korean Soldiers

North Korea has denied responsibility for landmine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three South Korean soldiers, as Seoul demanded an apology and warned that it would take “corresponding measures” if Pyongyang is confirmed to have planted the mines.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected South Korea's findings as a “farce” and accused Seoul of fabricating evidence to create a pretext for political and military provocation against Pyongyang. She also warned that North Korean border units would retaliate if South Korean forces opened live fire on troops carrying out border fortification work.

The dispute centres on two explosions on September 21, which injured three South Korean soldiers during an operation inside the DMZ near the Military Demarcation Line. Two soldiers suffered severe injuries, while the third sustained comparatively minor injuries.

A joint investigation by the South Korean military and the US-led United Nations Command found that North Korean landmines were highly likely to have caused the blasts. Investigators subsequently discovered another North Korean anti-personnel mine near the explosion site on September 29. South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul said the mine appeared to have been deliberately buried by North Korean forces rather than washed into the area.

The United Nations Command has determined that an Armistice Agreement violation occurred, after its joint investigation identified an active North Korean mine on the South Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line. The command said it was addressing the matter through established mechanisms under the armistice.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday demanded that Pyongyang apologise and immediately halt its border fortification activities, including mine-laying. Lt Gen Kang Hyun-woo said North Korea would bear responsibility for any future consequences arising from the situation.

North Korea, however, maintains that its border construction is an exercise of sovereignty and denies that its troops crossed the military demarcation line. Kim Yo Jong accused Seoul of threatening North Korean troops with warning broadcasts and shots and warned of “immediate and merciless” retaliation if South Korean forces fired on them.

Pyongyang has intensified work along the border since 2024, including laying mines, constructing anti-tank barriers and destroying unused sections of inter-Korean roads. Kim Jong Un has also designated South Korea as North Korea's “principal enemy”, further worsening relations between the two countries.

The latest dispute also recalls a 2015 DMZ landmine incident, when two South Korean soldiers were seriously injured. Seoul at the time accused North Korean troops of planting the mines, while Pyongyang denied responsibility. The incident led to heightened military tensions and the resumption of South Korean loudspeaker broadcasts along the border.