Seoul urges North Korea to halt 'escalatory actions' after DMZ mine blast

South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Cha Ji-hoon, urged North Korea to halt what he called 'escalatory actions' after Seoul concluded that Pyongyang's forces deliberately planted a landmine that injured three South Korean soldiers south of the Military Demarcation Line. 'We urge the DPRK to cease such escalatory actions upon apology and take responsible measures,' Cha said.

North Korea's UN envoy rejected the allegations, describing them as a 'poor trick' by South Korea's military aimed at shifting blame onto Pyongyang. Earlier, the UN Command said North Korea violated its armistice agreement with Seoul through the mine incident. The exchange at the UN reflects the sharply differing accounts each side has offered of the blast.

The confrontation followed a South Korean military assessment. On September 28, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the explosion in the demilitarized zone the previous week was 'highly likely' caused by North Korean landmines, and that three soldiers had been wounded. The military stated that if the suspicions were confirmed, 'North Korea bears full responsibility for this incident, and our military will take appropriate and corresponding measures.'

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has signaled a push to reduce tensions. Speaking at a ceremony marking the 78th Armed Forces Day on October 1, he said, 'The knots in inter-Korean relations are extremely complex, but we will steadily, patiently strive to untie them, one by one.' He also called on Pyongyang to help build trust, saying the two Koreas 'must find a way to win together.'

Diplomatic tracks have continued alongside the military friction. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said October 6 that Seoul and Washington remain aligned on North Korea policy, including a commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to Yonhap. 'We have continued close consultations with the US to encourage North Korea to return to dialogue and negotiations,' Cho said. In August, US President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to 'substantially reduce' military drills with South Korea, calling them 'hostile' to North Korea.

Other recent developments add to the tension. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said October 2 that the country launched an unidentified missile into the Sea of Japan, without providing further details, while North Korea had fired two short-range ballistic missiles on September 20. Lee has acknowledged that bilateral relations remain 'extremely complex.'