South Korean troops and the U.N. Command (UNC) carried out a joint on-site probe of a suspected land mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone on Sunday, Sept. 27, but could not reach the exact spot of the Sept. 21 DMZ mine blast because of the danger of uncharted mines, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
A team of about 40 people—South Korean soldiers, members of the UNC Military Armistice Commission and investigators—swept access routes with mine detectors from around 9 a.m. until sundown, Yonhap News Agency reported. The JCS said the team reached the vicinity of the blast site but halted for the day, citing the risk of unidentified mines and extreme fatigue among personnel, and will return later.
What Happened in the Sept. 21 DMZ Mine Blast
The explosion occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line near the border city of Paju, north of Seoul, as about a dozen troops were returning from a route-clearance mission, according to the JCS. Yonhap reported two officers were seriously injured; The Korea Herald said three officers were hurt. Several officers who took part in the Sept. 21 mission joined Sunday’s survey team.
That clearance work was meant to prepare for a UNC inspection of areas south of the demarcation line suspected of containing land mines planted by North Korean troops. The blast is suspected of involving a North Korean mine, the Korea Herald reported, but investigators have not determined its origin.
Pressure on Seoul Over Investigation Delays
The South Korean military has faced mounting criticism over allegations that it deliberately delayed the investigation, Yonhap said. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul visited the 25th Infantry Division, which oversees the western section of the border, on Wednesday, followed by the JCS operations chief and the JCS chairman later in the week. “The South Korean military and the UNC plan to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident through additional on-site inspections,” the JCS said, promising an “objective and transparent” account.
Why a Korean Border Mine Matters
If investigators confirm the device was recently laid by North Korea south of the demarcation line, it would mark a serious armistice violation at a time of heightened military activity on the peninsula, including Pyongyang’s tests of upgraded 240mm guided rockets. Regional tensions are also rising over missile deployments, as reflected in China and Russia’s protest of Japan’s Typhon system on Kyushu. The UNC’s involvement means any finding will carry weight under the 1953 armistice framework, which is why both Seoul and the command are stressing a methodical, safety-first approach.