What did Kim Yo-jong say about the DMZ mine blast and South Korea’s findings?

Kim Yo-jong repeated her denial of responsibility and rejected the South Korean military’s conclusion that blamed North Korea for the blast. She called the findings groundless and said North Korea was fortifying its border to close the door to South Korea for good.

How did South Korea respond to North Korea’s denial over the DMZ mine blast?

South Korea’s military urged Pyongyang to apologize and stop fortification work on the border. President Lee Jae Myung also said he would persistently seek practical ways to reduce military tensions with North Korea.

What tone did Kim Yo-jong use in criticizing Seoul over the DMZ incident?

She mocked Seoul’s call for an apology and dismissed its reaction as a clown show. Her statement came through KCNA and repeated her earlier denial from the same week.

N. Korean leader's sister again denies responsibility over DMZ mine blast

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Summary

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, again denied responsibility in Seoul on Friday for the recent DMZ mine blast. In a KCNA statement, she rejected the South Korean military’s findings, called them groundless, and mocked Seoul’s demand for an apology. South Korea urged Pyongyang to apologize and stop border fortification work, while President Lee Jae Myung said he would keep seeking ways to reduce tensions.

Key Facts

Kim Yo-jong said North Korea is fortifying its border to close the door to South Korea for good.
She described South Korea’s response to the blast as a clown show.
President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday that he would persistently seek practical ways to reduce military tensions with North Korea.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 2, 2026 5:44 pm KST
Updated Oct 2, 2026 5:47 pm KST

Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. AP-Yonhap

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Friday reiterated her denial of responsibility for the recent blast caused by North Korean land mines inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), she repeated her earlier denial this week, rejecting the South Korean military's findings that blamed the North for the blast.

South Korea's military urged Pyongyang to offer an apology and stop fortification work on the border.

"The reason we are fortifying our border is to close the door to South Korea for good" she said, calling South Korea's findings "groundless."

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday pledged to persistently seek practical ways to reduce military tensions with North Korea.

She mocked Seoul's call for an apology, dismissing its response as a "clown show."

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