South Korea’s military and the United Nations Command have launched a joint investigation into a September 21 blast near the DMZ that injured three South Korean soldiers clearing a patrol route. The military says it will search further, verify the cause and publish findings.
President Lee Jae Myung said the explosion was caused by a landmine. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said an investigative team of about 40 officials searched near the site. Opposition lawmakers called for transparency amid suspicions the device may have originated in North Korea; its origin has not been established.
Mine explosions and other blasts are recurring hazards in and around the DMZ, where legacy devices and suspected stray mines have periodically injured personnel on both sides. Separately, South Korean media reports said North Korean forces resumed border fortification work in March, including mine-laying and fence construction.
