South Korea has said North Korea was responsible for a landmine explosion that injured three of its soldiers inside the Demilitarised Zone, raising fresh tensions along the heavily fortified border.
Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul told parliament on Tuesday that preliminary findings showed the blast violated the armistice agreement that ended active fighting in the Korean War.
The September 21 explosion left three South Korean troops injured, including one who lost a foot.
The South Korean military also found an unexploded North Korean plastic anti-personnel mine during an inspection of the site on Tuesday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The discovery came a day after South Korea’s defence ministry said North Korean mines were highly suspected to have caused two explosions in the area last week.
The DMZ serves as a buffer between the two Koreas but remains heavily fortified and contaminated with landmines on both sides.
South Korea said it would take measures in response to the incident, although the defence minister did not disclose specific actions.
The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
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