North Korea likely behind DMZ explosion, Joint Chiefs say

SEOUL, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 —

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced on Monday that the explosions that injured three military personnel inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) on 21 September were “highly likely” to have been caused by mines laid by North Korea.

The statement, made during a briefing in Seoul, followed an on‑site investigation of the blast that occurred in the western section of the DMZ. Two of the injured were a reconnaissance battalion commander and a military engineer, both suffering serious injuries, while a third soldier sustained a minor injury.

All 18 personnel involved in the operation were transported to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital; fifteen have since been discharged, leaving the three injured soldiers still hospitalized.

The JCS’s assessment was based on several factors that ruled out South Korean mines and pointed instead to North Korean ones. “Considering the findings so far and the results of the on‑site investigation, we assess that there is a very high possibility that the explosions were caused by North Korean mines,” said Army Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae‑won, vice chairman of the JCS.

The JCS said there were no records of South Korean mines having been laid in the area, while signs that North Korean troops had laid mines in the nearby area were detected in September 2025.

According to the JCS, the National Forensic Service’s preliminary analysis found traces of TNT and brown‑colored foreign material on protective equipment recovered from the scene, but no metal fragments. The military said the absence of such fragments indicated that the explosions were not caused by South Korean anti‑personnel mines.

The JCS also cited testimony from personnel involved in the operation that a brown, rectangular object resembling a North Korean anti‑personnel mine was spotted about one metre from the first blast site. The shape of the blast craters and flames, the extent of the injuries and accounts from personnel at the scene further supported the assessment, the military said.

When asked whether greater use of unmanned equipment could have reduced the risk to personnel, a JCS official said the military had deployed all available assets, including robots, drones and quadruped robots, during mine‑detection operations. The official added that personnel still had to enter parts of the area because of the mountainous terrain and other operational constraints, and that the military had taken what it considered the best available safety measures under the circumstances.

The blasts occurred about ten metres south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which divides the two Koreas, and roughly the same distance from an area where signs of North Korean mine‑laying activity had been detected. The JCS said North Korea would bear responsibility if the final investigation confirms that the mines were laid by Pyongyang.

“If the final investigation concludes that our troops were injured by mines laid by North Korea, it means our service members were injured by North Korean mines while legitimately conducting operations south of the MDL,” Kwon said. “All responsibility lies with North Korea, and our military will take appropriate and corresponding measures,” he added.

The JCS said it had yet to determine whether the suspected North Korean mines were deliberately planted south of the MDL or had been displaced from elsewhere. The mine‑like object reported near the first blast site has also yet to be recovered. A final determination will be made after further investigation with the United Nations Command.

The JCS did not specify what action it could take, saying corresponding measures would be decided based on the final findings.

The Defence Ministry said it would keep all policy options open in considering a response. Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Kang Shin‑chul also said “appropriate and corresponding” measures would be necessary if the mine is confirmed to have been laid by North Korea.

If confirmed, the incident would mark the first case of South Korean military personnel being injured by North Korean mines in the DMZ since August 2015, when two South Korean soldiers were seriously wounded by wooden‑box mines. A South Korean and UNC investigation at that time concluded that North Korean troops had crossed the MDL and deliberately planted the mines. Seoul subsequently resumed loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea.