South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul confirmed on Tuesday, 29 September that a North Korean resin antipersonnel mine recovered near the site of last week's explosion inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) was deliberately buried by North Korean forces — not one that had been washed away by flooding. The disclosure significantly escalates tensions on the Korean Peninsula and points to a calculated breach of the 1950-53 Korean War armistice.

What the Mine Discovery Revealed

South Korean military personnel recovered the North Korean resin antipersonnel mine on Tuesday, located near the site of the 21 September blast that occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) dividing the two Koreas. The explosion left three South Korean soldiers injured, two of them with severe wounds.

Minister Kang stated that the mine was buried, responding directly to a query by Representative Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition party, who had asked whether the device was planted or flood-displaced. Kang's one-word answer — 'Buried' — left little ambiguity about Pyongyang's role.

Scale of the Threat: At Least Four Mines Placed

Earlier on Tuesday, Kang told lawmakers that at least four mines were believed to have been placed at or near the DMZ explosion site. He noted that multiple mines had been spotted positioned 1-2 metres apart from each other, making the possibility that they were swept in by water 'very low,' according to his assessment.

The military had previously stated that three mines in total were believed to have been buried at the blast site — including the two that detonated — based on accounts from soldiers who reported spotting an unexploded device as they retreated from the area.

Joint Inspection and Armistice Violation

The explosion itself occurred during an operation to clear a path for a joint inspection between South Korea's military and the United Nations Command (UNC). The inspection was intended to verify Seoul's suspicions that Pyongyang had illegally buried mines across the border in violation of the armistice agreement. Following a joint site inspection on Monday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) assessed that North Korean land mines were 'highly likely' the cause of the blast.

When asked directly whether he was certain that last week's explosion was caused by North Korea-planted mines, Kang replied: 'Yes.' He also agreed with a lawmaker's characterisation that the incident constituted a violation of the armistice, adding: 'It is clearly a violation of the armistice agreement, and the responsibility lies with North Korea, so we will take corresponding measures.'

Seoul's Response and Next Steps

Kang pledged to work with the UNC and the international community to hold those responsible to account, though he did not elaborate on the specific 'corresponding measures' Seoul intends to pursue. His remarks are tied to what he described as Pyongyang's border reinforcement work — a pattern of activity that analysts say has intensified along the DMZ in recent months.

This is not the first time North Korea has been accused of placing mines near the MDL; a 2015 incident in which South Korean soldiers lost limbs to a landmine blast in the DMZ triggered a major diplomatic standoff. The latest episode, with confirmed soldier casualties and a defence minister's direct attribution, is likely to draw a sharper international response. How Seoul and the UNC calibrate their next move will set the tone for inter-Korean relations in the months ahead.