South Korean president orders probe into land mine blast in Demilitarized Zone

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered a swift and thorough investigation into a land mine explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers inside the Demilitarized Zone last week.

Lee made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House a day after the military said preliminary findings indicated that a North Korean land mine was highly likely to have caused the explosion, Yonhap News reported.

“The military authorities must transparently reveal the truth behind the case by carrying out a swift and thorough investigation in close cooperation with the UN Command,” he said.

“In accordance with that truth, we will take necessary measures,” he added.

The explosion occurred on Sept. 21 as troops were clearing a route for a joint South Korean military-UN Command inspection of suspected North Korean mine-laying activities south of the Military Demarcation Line. Two soldiers were seriously injured and another sustained minor injuries.

Lee also warned against spreading “groundless conspiracy theories” over the incident, saying national security should not become a partisan issue.

'Violation of armistice'

Separately, South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul called the explosion a “clear violation” of the armistice agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War.

“This is a clear violation of the armistice agreement,” Kang told a parliamentary defense committee.

Seoul and Pyongyang have technically remained at war since the Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

“As responsibility lies on North Korea, we will take corresponding measures, (if the blast is confirmed to have been caused by land mines planted by North Korean forces),” Yonhap news agency quoted Kang as saying.

A joint team of South Korean military officials and the UN Command's Military Armistice Commission conducted an on-site inspection to investigate the cause of the explosion.

Lee also called for strengthening South Korea’s self-reliant defense capabilities with advanced weapons and ordered accelerated efforts to develop nuclear-powered submarines and hypersonic missiles.

Separately, Lee instructed officials to translate the outcomes of his recent visits to the US and Mexico into tangible national gains.

He also pledged to prioritize housing, employment and financial services for low-income households.