South Korea says preparing response to force North Korean apology over DMZ blast
South Korea insists that the North must remove the mines it planted in the DMZ south of the Military Demarcation Line.
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SEOUL: South Korea is preparing a response to force North Korea to apologise for a mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that seriously wounded two South Korean soldiers, a defence ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday (Oct 6).
South Korea is also calling on Pyongyang to come to the table to discuss the misalignment of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which bisects the DMZ, the spokesperson said.
The Sep 21 blast wounded three South Korean troops, two of them seriously.
The spokesperson, Chung Bin-na, did not specify what measures would be taken in response to the blast, which South Korea has said was caused by North Korean mines, citing the results of a joint investigation with the United Nations Command.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
Chung said North Korea must remove the mines it planted in the DMZ south of the MDL, but also said there were differences in the exact line that separates the Korean Peninsula as recognised by the two Koreas.
Differing views of the border line are one factor contributing to tension in the area, Chung said.
Some sections of the MDL, which stretches more than 200km between the east and west coasts with 1,900 markers, have become difficult to identify after decades of limited access inside the DMZ since it was drawn up in 1953 at the end of the Korean War.
North Korea on Friday rejected as "groundless" Seoul's accusation that North Korean mines seriously wounded South Korean soldiers in the DMZ and dismissed Seoul's demand for an apology, state news agency KCNA reported.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North's leader Kim Jong Un, said Pyongyang had not deliberately planted mines in the border zone, KCNA reported.
Newsletter
Week in Review
Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review
Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app