A senior South Korean military officer, Ku Hongmo, said that Seoul believes North Korean soldiers secretly crossed the border and laid mines between July 23 and August. 3, the day before the three mines exploded.
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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.
The United Nations Command and the South Korean defense ministry denounced North Korea for placing landmines in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) last week, which injured two South Korean staff sergeants.
North Korean soldiers sneaked across the heavily guarded border with South Korea and planted land mines near one of the South’s military guard posts, and two southern soldiers were maimed after stepping on them, the South Korean Defence Ministry said yesterday (Aug 10).
Seoul has enhanced propaganda broadcasts run by its military to Pyongyang as part of its retaliatory action against the communist country.
The South Korean military says North Korea will pay a “harsh price” for a landmine blast that wounded two South Korean soldiers last week. He demanded that Pyongyang apologize for planting the landmines and severely punish whoever is responsible.
Professor Lee Jung-hoon said we have not heard the end of the tensions.
But although the loudspeakers were re-installed, they were never put back into use as Seoul limited itself to a number of direct FM radio broadcasts instead.
North Korea is extremely sensitive to such campaigns.
There had been hopes that the anniversary might be an opportunity for some sort of rapprochement, but efforts to organise a joint commemoration went nowhere.
“Absolutely they will respond”, he said.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, formerly South Korean foreign minister, also released a statement calling on Pyongyang to “fully adhere to the obligations under the Armistice Agreement and engage in dialogue on this incident”.
According to Seoul, fragments from the explosions matched North Korea’s “wooden box” landmines.
This discussion, of course, is by far subsequent to nationwide and global condemnation and warning against North Korea, which once again resorted to provocation in violation of the cease-fire treaty, a grave challenge against the stability of the Korean Peninsula.
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After a war of words with the US and with new UN sanctions over the third nuclear test, the country vowed to restart all nuke facilities, including a uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon.
