Pyongyang rejects Seoul apology demand after DMZ mine blast wounds three soldiers
Kim Yo Jong dismissed South Korea's demand for an official apology after a 21 September landmine explosion wounded three South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone, calling Seoul's claims a conspiracy farce.
The DMZ explosion and military findings
On 21 September 2026, a landmine exploded inside the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea, severely wounding three South Korean soldiers. One of the wounded soldiers lost a foot during the incident, which occurred while personnel were conducting an operation to inspect suspected illegal mine installations. Following an investigation conducted alongside the United Nations Command, South Korean authorities concluded that North Korean mines caused the blast. South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul described the placement as a manifest violation of the 1953 armistice agreement, prompting Seoul to demand an official apology and announce that it would take necessary countermeasures.
- A landmine explodes in the DMZ, injuring three South Korean soldiers.
- South Korea and the United Nations Command state the blast breached the 1953 armistice.
- Kim Yo Jong rejects Seoul's apology demand and dismisses dialogue proposals.
Rejection from Pyongyang
North Korea denied responsibility for the blast, and Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a statement condemning Seoul for demanding an apology. Kim described the South Korean investigation as a conspiracy farce intended to justify political and military actions against Pyongyang, asserting that North Korea had not deliberately planted mines in the border area. She argued that drawing conclusions about an explosion in long-abandoned territory was groundless.
They are absolutely pathetic.
Kim also referred to ongoing fortification efforts along the frontier, stating that the works are designed to seal the border completely so that wild animals cannot cross.
Political debate and diplomatic positioning in Seoul
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung adopted a conciliatory stance despite the blast, calling on North Korea to resume bilateral contact and reduce border tensions. The opposition People Power Party criticized the administration, stating that South Korean soldiers were injured while the government faced mockery from Pyongyang instead of receiving an apology. Lee had previously proposed in September that Washington should seek a freeze on Pyongyang's nuclear program rather than pursuing immediate dismantlement. These diplomatic overtures unfold as recent engagements by US President Donald Trump toward Pyongyang raise concerns in Seoul about South Korea being sidelined in future nuclear negotiations.
I hope the North will now join us on the path of restoring trust and resuming dialogue, after a long interruption. We will consistently pursue practical measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas.
Border tensions and historical precedents
The 4-kilometer-wide Demilitarized Zone stretches across nearly 250 kilometers of the Korean peninsula and remains heavily contaminated, with an estimated 800,000 landmines remaining since the end of the 1950–1953 Korean War. Inter-Korean relations have deteriorated since 2022 following the expiration of the 2018 military de-escalation accord, with Kim Jong Un designating South Korea as the principal enemy and expanding military cooperation with Russia. Similar friction occurred in 2015 when a landmine blast in the southern portion of the DMZ wounded two South Korean soldiers, causing one to lose both legs. In that previous incident, Seoul concluded that North Korean troops had crossed the military demarcation line to lay mines, an allegation Pyongyang rejected.
