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South Korea and North Korea exchanged accusations on Wednesday over two explosions near the Military Demarcation Line in the western section of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Sept. 21 that injured three South Korean soldiers, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Seoul demanded that Pyongyang apologize and take “responsible measures” over the incident, while calling on North Korea to immediately halt what it described as “border-hardening activities.”
“This constitutes a blatant violation of the Armistice Agreement and undermines the spirit of existing inter-Korean agreements and must be halted immediately,” Lt. Gen. Kang Hyun-woo, chief director of operations at South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.
“We make it explicitly clear that North Korea bears full responsibility for any future consequences that may arise,” he added.
South Korea links blasts to mines
South Korean authorities said North Korean resin antipersonnel mines deliberately placed on the southern side of the Military Demarcation Line were highly likely to have caused the Sept. 21 explosions.
North Korea rejected the allegation, accusing Seoul of fabricating the findings and warning of “immediate and merciless” retaliation if its troops came under fire.
Pyongyang warns of retaliation
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said South Korea was presenting “groundless results” to justify political and military provocation against the North. Her statement was carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
Kim said North Korean soldiers “have never crossed the border” and accused the South Korean military of threatening them with warning broadcasts and gunfire.
“If the ROK military gangsters fire at our soldiers carrying on the permanent project for the southern border, not warning shots, our border units will take immediate and merciless retaliate attack,” she said.
DPRK is the official name of North Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while ROK refers to South Korea, the Republic of Korea.
