SKorean soldiers wounded in border explosion

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

Two South Korean soldiers were rushed to hospital with serious wounds Tuesday morning following an explosion near the border with North Korea, according to the military.

The army staff sergeants had been involved in a search mission in Paju on the southern side of the tense inter-Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) – the incident occurred at 7:40 a.m.

A landmine is suspected to have behind the blast, which reportedly almost severed the pair’s legs.

“There’s no possibility of North Korea’s involvement,” a military official was quoted as saying by local news agency Yonhap.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Kim Min-seok described the accident as “unfortunate.”

“What appeared to be a mine explosion took place, but due to the speedy response on the site, their conditions are not life-threatening,” Kim told reporters.

Landmines are known to litter the DMZ area, which is lined by thousands of troops on both sides – a legacy of the still unresolved 1950-53 Korean War.

South Korea has been on high alert recently in anticipation of a major provocation by Pyongyang, as signs of a potential long-range ballistic missile launch have been detected in North Korea.