Lee urges North Korea dialogue amid DMZ mine dispute

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged North Korea to restore trust and resume dialogue on October 1, as the two governments disputed responsibility for a September 21 mine blast that injured three South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone. South Korea’s military and the United Nations Command said their investigation found evidence that North Korean mines caused the explosions; Pyongyang rejected the assessment. Two of the soldiers were seriously injured in the blasts south of the Military Demarcation Line, according to the investigation accounts. North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, accused Seoul of fabricating its findings and warned of consequences if South Korea acted on the assumption that Pyongyang was responsible. The mine’s origin remains disputed. In an Armed Forces Day address, Lee called for North Korea to join efforts to restore trust after a lengthy interruption in dialogue. He said his administration would pursue practical measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas. His appeal came a day after the sides exchanged statements over the investigation and the military armistice.