(CNN) – The South Korean military has warned North Korea of a “harsh” response to landmine blasts that seriously wounded two South Korean soldiers last week in the demilitarized zone.
Advertisement
A senior South Korean army officer, Ku Hongmo, stated Seoul believes North Korean troopers secretly crossed the border and laid mines between July 23 and August three, the day earlier than the three mines exploded.
In statements to South Korean Yonhap news agency, the South Korean military described the incident as “nasty behavior” and “a clear violation of the armistice agreement and the non-aggression agreements between the South and the North”.
Military tensions along the heavily-fortified frontline on the Korean peninsula have soared as South Korea vowed to make the communist North pay a “harsh price” after landmines maimed two soldiers.
The DMZ is a four kilometer-wide arms-free buffer running between the two countries which have been under a ceasefire since the 1950-53 Korean War.
“The investigation determined that the devices were recently emplaced, and ruled out the possibility that these were legacy landmines which had drifted from their original placements”, it said in a statement.
South Korea has turned to a psychological weapon of its own, saying it will resume broadcasting propaganda to North Korean territory.
A North Korean flag is seen on top of a tower near the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating North Korea from South Korea, about 55 km (34 miles) north of Seoul, September 25, 2013.
Investigations by South Korea and the American-led United Nations Command confirmed that splinters from the explosions have been from wooden field mines utilized by North Korea, in line with South Korea’s Protection Ministry. It condemned what it called violations of the armistice that ended fighting in the war, which still technically continues because the participants have never signed a peace treaty. The soldiers were on service in the demilitarized zone, when the accident occurred.
North Korea also objects to joint military drills between Seoul and Washington that will begin soon. South Korean officials said they may take additional punitive measures depending on how North Korea reacts.
The North Korean women’s soccer team beat South Korea 2-0 on Saturday, but North Korea’s men’s team lost to South Korea that won the 2015 East Asian Cup with a draw on Sunday.
North Korea is home to over 20 special economic and development zones which use a grey market exchange rate to value the local currency and contain separate economic laws, even allowing foreign entities to sue the state in the event of a break of contract.
He added the chamber would seek to find ways to increase exchanges with its North Korean counterpart.
The mine incident comes ahead of next week’s start of U.S.-South Korea summer military exercises.
Advertisement
There had been hopes that the anniversary might open an opportunity for some sort of rapprochement, but efforts to organize a joint commemoration went nowhere.
