FM Cho says S. Korea reviewing diplomatic responses to NK mine blast inside DMZ
Summary
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday that South Korea is reviewing diplomatic measures in response to mine explosions inside the Demilitarized Zone. The blasts injured three South Korean soldiers on Sept. 21 after North Korean mines were found south of the Military Demarcation Line. Seoul is consulting the National Security Council and United Nations Command while seeking to demand accountability without unnecessarily escalating tensions.
Key Facts
- The explosions occurred while South Korean troops were clearing a path for a joint inspection with the United Nations Command.
- South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded that North Korean land mines caused the injuries and said mine-removal operations would continue if Pyongyang does not remove the mines voluntarily.
- A similar 2015 incident seriously injured two South Korean soldiers, after which Seoul sent a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council through its ambassador to the United Nations.
- North Korea has denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of retaliation if South Korea takes corresponding action.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun attends a government audit at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday that South Korea is reviewing various diplomatic measures in response to recent mine explosions inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), while seeking to prevent the situation from escalating unnecessarily.
Cho made the remarks during a parliamentary audit of his ministry, a day after the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) concluded that North Korean land mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) caused injuries to three South Korean soldiers inside the DMZ on Sept. 21.
"We take this matter very seriously. Based on the final results of the investigation, the ministry is reviewing various things it can do and will work with the National Security Council to formulate the government's response," Cho said.
The blasts occurred while South Korean troops were clearing a path for a joint inspection with the U.N. Command (UNC) to verify suspicions that Pyongyang had illegally planted land mines south of the border in violation of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
The minister said the review also includes past responses and measures involving the United Nations, as lawmakers noted that a similar incident in 2015 could serve as a reference. In 2015, three wooden-box North Korean land mines exploded south of the inter-Korean border, seriously injuring two South Korean soldiers.
The Seoul government subsequently sent a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council through its ambassador to the U.N., expressing regret over the North's provocation and urging Pyongyang to refrain from further provocations.
Cho said he agreed with the need to clarify the MDL, adding that the government is preparing measures in cooperation with the UNC to encourage Pyongyang to respond to such efforts.
Cho rejected the claim that the government may have delayed its response to the incident out of concern about provoking North Korea.
"Firmly making demands to North Korea and managing the situation so that it does not unnecessarily escalate are two sides of the same coin," Cho said. "We will continue efforts on both fronts."
Announcing the final probe results on Monday, the JCS said the military conducted a mine-clearing operation at the blast site, which Seoul's defense minister has called the first such mission inside the DMZ in history and a "decisive" response to North Korea.
The military vowed to continue mine-removal operations in the area if North Korea does not voluntarily remove the mines it planted, while urging Pyongyang to apologize to the injured soldiers.
North Korea has denied responsibility for the recent explosions and warned of retaliation if South Korea takes corresponding action.
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