North Korea tells UN Security Council South fabricated DMZ landmine blast
Pyongyang has written to the UN denying blame for a September mine blast that seriously injured two South Korean soldiers.
North Korea has told the United Nations Security Council that South Korea fabricated a landmine incident in the demilitarised zone in September, The Straits Times and the South China Morning Post reported. Seoul has sent its own letter blaming the blast on a North Korean mine.
North Korea's UN representative wrote to the Security Council on Sunday, October 25, according to state media KCNA, which reported the letter on October 26. The Straits Times, carrying a Reuters report, said the letter accused Seoul of using the incident to portray Pyongyang's border construction as a military incursion. It warned that violations of North Korea's sovereignty could trigger self-defence.
The SCMP quoted the letter as describing a "provocation the ROK committed by groundlessly shifting the blame for the dubious 'mine explosion incident'".
The dispute concerns explosions on September 21 inside the DMZ that seriously injured two South Korean soldiers. Seoul later said mines planted by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line, which runs through the zone, caused the blasts. The UN Command said a North Korean mine across the line violated the armistice. Pyongyang has denied responsibility.
According to the SCMP, South Korea's letter to the UN called the incident a "clear violation of the armistice agreement". The paper said tensions between the two Koreas have risen sharply since Seoul blamed the North last month.
North Korea's letter also accused South Korean forces of opening fire on North Korean personnel, The Straits Times reported. It called this a breach of the UN Charter, which bars the threat or use of force against another state's territorial integrity. Seoul has said it issues warning broadcasts and fires warning shots to make North Korean soldiers return north when they cross the demarcation line.
In recent years North Korean troops have been building tactical roads and fences and laying mines near the line, according to The Straits Times.
On October 23, South Korea's defence ministry again proposed military talks with the North to reduce the risk of accidental clashes.
Sources: South China Morning Post, North Korea tells UN South ‘fabricated’ border landmine blast; The Straits Times, North Korea tells UN South fabricated landmine incident: State media.
