North Korea denies planting mines that injured 3 South Korean soldiers, accuses Seoul of conspiracy
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday rejected South Korean findings that North Korea planted land mines that injured three South Korean soldiers last week and threatened to retaliate if the South fires on North Korean troops fortifying the border.The incident could further inflame tensions between the Koreas, which have no working military hotlines or other emergency communications channels as North Korea hardens its stance toward Seoul while expanding its military nuclear program.Three South Korean soldiers were injured in two explosions on Sept.21 near the military demarcation line in the western section of the Demilitarized Zone, a heavily fortified border buffer zone between the Koreas that’s commonly known as the DMZ.The statement by Kim Yo Jong came after South Korea’s military on Monday announced a preliminary assessment that the blasts were caused by North Korean mines following a joint inspection of the site with the US-led United Nations Command.The South Korean joint chiefs said South Korean and UN investigators discovered another North Korean mine Tuesday during a follow-up inspection.
The UN Command said Wednesday that North Korea had violated the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.The agreement prohibits both sides from committing any hostile act “within, from, or against” the DMZ and bans military or civilian personnel from crossing the military demarcation line without authorization from the armistice commission.The UN Command said it was addressing the violation through established mechanisms but didn’t elaborate.Kang Hyunwoo, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff’s director of operations, said the military “strongly urges” North Korea to apologize for the blasts and take “responsible measures” to prevent a recurrence.
South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said the South would consider unspecified “corresponding measures” if a complete invest...