A suspected landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone on the 21st occurred several dozen meters from an area where North Korean troops are believed to have laid mines south of the Military Demarcation Line, the South Korean military said. The military has asked the National Forensic Service to examine evidence from the site and will conduct a joint on-site investigation with the United Nations Command.
According to initial accounts from soldiers involved in the operation, given on the 23rd, a total of 18 personnel — 15 officers and noncommissioned officers and three enlisted soldiers — took part in the mission to clear a search route in the DMZ. The blasts occurred as the unit was returning from the operation. In their initial accounts, the soldiers said a first explosion at about 10:50 a.m. on the 21st injured an engineering sergeant first class at the head of the column, and that a second blast followed as the search battalion commander, a lieutenant colonel, approached to take safety measures.
To determine whether the explosives were North Korean or South Korean mines, the military sent protective suits and mine-resistant overshoes worn by the soldiers to the National Forensic Service. Initial findings are expected next week. An on-site investigation by a joint team including the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission will also be carried out soon. The military plans to determine the precise circumstances of the incident, including whether North Korean forces were involved, by combining the forensic results with findings from the site inspection.
