The key facts

  • Seoul will send a letter to the president of the UN Security Council: it demands apologies and accountability from North Korea for the September 21 blasts in the DMZ; three South Korean servicemen were injured
  • A joint investigation by South Korean military intelligence and the UN Command concluded that mines north of the demarcation line, planted by North Korea, violated the 1953 armistice
  • Kim Yo Jong called the accusations fabricated, promised to put new response means on standby along the southern border and prepare loudspeakers

Seoul's Appeal to the UN

South Korea said on Thursday that it intends to approach the UN Security Council over the mine blasts near the inter-Korean border, which injured three servicemen last month. According to Yonhap, Seoul will send a letter to the president of the Security Council demanding apologies and holding Pyongyang accountable for the September 21 blasts in the Demilitarized Zone. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pak Du Sun noted that the letter will also contain a call for dialogue to prevent further escalation.

Investigation Findings

A joint investigation by South Korean military intelligence and the UN Command concluded that North Korean mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line violated the 1953 armistice agreement.

Pyongyang's Reaction

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused Seoul of fabricating the accusations and interfering in the DPRK's border fortification. 'We are not committing a 'provocation' but are taking a just counteraction,' her statement distributed by KCNA said. She warned that the DPRK would put new response means on standby along the southern border and prepare loudspeakers aimed at South Korea. 'If they make a 'mistake' deliberately or unintentionally, everything will be broken, crushed and terribly destroyed,' the agency quoted her statement as saying. Pyongyang insists that the border fortification works are lawful defensive measures.

Context of the Escalation

Tension on the Korean Peninsula has intensified since last month, when three South Korean servicemen were injured as a result of an explosion in the DMZ. Seoul blamed Pyongyang, which rejected these accusations.