South Korea says North Korean mine caused border blast

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on October 5 that its final investigation, conducted with the United Nations Command, concluded a North Korean antipersonnel mine caused a September 21 blast in the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers. The military said forensic findings supported its conclusion and that it had begun removing mines around the site. North Korea has denied responsibility. The blast occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line while South Korean troops were carrying out a routine operation. Two soldiers suffered serious injuries, according to reports, and a third was injured. The JCS said investigators examined the site jointly with the U.N. Command and reviewed forensic evidence. The United Nations Command had also reported finding a North Korean mine south of the line. South Korean Lt. Gen. Kwon Daewon, vice chairman of the JCS, said the mine was planted in connection with North Korea’s border fortification work. South Korean officials have described the mine’s age as more than 12 months, while one account of Kwon’s briefing put the estimate at about a year.