As evidence mounted that the mine that exploded in the Demilitarized Zone on the western front was laid by North Korean troops, Pyongyang has flatly denied responsibility, calling the incident a fabrication staged by the South. Kim Yo-jong, director of the general affairs department of North Korea's Workers' Party, said in a statement carried on the 30th that "we cannot simply stand by and watch the disgraceful spectacle of someone stepping on a mine of unknown origin in a place they do not even know and then babbling about a violation of the armistice agreement," dismissing the case as "a self-staged clown show." She went further with a threat, saying that "if even a single bullet lands on our soil, they will have to be prepared for a great deal." It is a brazen attempt to pin their own actions on the South.
Evidence that North Korea bears responsibility for this incident is more than abundant. The Joint Chiefs of Staff made the point clearly the same day, saying that "on Sept. 21, our soldiers conducting a search operation south of the Military Demarcation Line suffered serious injuries from a North Korean mine." The United Nations Command also cited a North Korean mine found south of the MDL and declared it "a violation of the armistice agreement." That a total of four mines were recovered at the same spot after the blast can be seen as strong evidence that North Korea deliberately planted them.
What matters now is close cooperation between the South Korean government and the U.N. Command, and a firm response. During the 2015 wooden-box mine incident, the government resumed loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North, which it had halted as a symbolic gesture, and demanded that those responsible be punished. The two Koreas held high-level talks at Panmunjom, and North Korea ultimately expressed regret to the South Korean government. At the time, the U.N. Command condemned the North's violation of the armistice and requested general-level talks with the North Korean military. Now is the time for the government to show resolve. Even so, it is troubling that some within the ruling party keep making remarks that defend North Korea or shift the blame onto the previous administration.
This is in effect a military provocation by North Korea, a clear violation of the armistice agreement and a security threat to South Korea. A passive posture that reads Pyongyang's mood out of preoccupation with playing "pacemaker" for U.S.-North Korea dialogue must be avoided. The government should handle the matter coolly to avoid escalation, while taking corresponding measures step by step under the principle of reciprocal and proportionate response. The public is watching with a hawk's eye the Defense Ministry's announcement that it will take corresponding measures if the mine is finally confirmed to have been laid by North Korea.
