New defense minister urges N. Korea to halt border-hardening following DMZ explosion

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SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- New Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul urged North Korea on Tuesday to cease its border-hardening measures along the inter-Korean border, vowing that South Korea will not tip-toe around Pyongyang's actions.

Kang made the remarks during a press availability following his inauguration, after a suspected landmine blast south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) on the western inter-Korean border injured three South Korean military officers Monday.

An investigation is under way to determine the exact cause of the blast, but speculation is growing that it may have been triggered by a landmine illegally planted by the North on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

"(North Korea) must cease its border fortification. Of course, we need to speak out," Kang said, when asked about the explosion.

"There are secondary effects that stem from North Korea's border-hardening, and this (explosion) could be one of them," he said.

Newly appointed Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul (C) delivers his inauguration speech during a ceremony at the defense ministry in Yongsan, Seoul, on Sept. 22, 2026. (Yonhap)

Kang said he "agrees," when asked whether he would issue a firm warning to Pyongyang about its fencing and mine-laying activities in his new capacity.

"You keep bringing up that we walk on eggshells when it comes to North Korea, but we do not," he said. "I explicitly stated that the North's military is our enemy (during my confirmation hearing)."

Kang also revealed that the South's military has yet to confirm whether the suspected mine blast occurred at a site where North Korea is suspected of illegally laying mines across the border.

"Frankly, what is at issue is whether the minefield area you are referring to, the patrol route our personnel had entered and the exact site of the explosion all match up," Kang told reporters.

"The problem is that we cannot confirm this at this point. That is precisely what the investigation must determine," he said.

Kang noted that the military has not yet obtained clear footage of the explosion site, citing difficult terrain within the buffer zone hindering visibility.

"Ideally, we would rely on the memory of the personnel involved and could ask them directly where they entered, but the current situation obviously makes that difficult," he said. "As of now, nothing is clearly visible and it remains difficult to confirm that these three locations align."

The explosion occurred inside the DMZ, a buffer zone covering the MDL separating the two Koreas, severely injuring the commander of an Army battalion unit, while another officer sustained a leg fracture. A third officer was also injured, though less severely.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said during a press briefing Tuesday that the officers were clearing a path for an upcoming U.N. Command (UNC) field inspection to examine sites on the southern side of the DMZ where North Korean troops are suspected of planting mines in potential violation of the armistice agreement.

Kang, a former deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), was nominated by President Lee Jae Myung on Aug. 30.

Kang began his official schedule as minister by visiting Seoul National Cemetery earlier in the day to pay respects to fallen soldiers.

New Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul (C) pays respects to fallen soldiers during a visit to Seoul National Cemetery in the capital city, on Sept. 22, 2026, the first day of taking office, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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New defense minister urges N. Korea to halt border-hardening following DMZ explosion

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首尔，9月22日（韩联社）——韩国新任国防部长姜信哲周二敦促朝鲜停止在朝韩边境采取的边境强化措施，并誓言韩国不会对平壤的行动视而不见。

康在就职后的新闻发布会上发表了上述言论。此前，周一在朝韩西部边境军事分界线（MDL）以南发生的一起疑似地雷爆炸事件导致三名韩国军官受伤。

目前正在进行调查以确定爆炸的确切原因，但越来越多的人猜测，爆炸可能是由朝鲜在非军事区（DMZ）韩国一侧非法埋设的地雷引发的。

“（朝鲜）必须停止修建边境防御工事。当然，我们需要发声，”康在被问及爆炸事件时说道。

他说：“朝鲜加强边境管控会产生一些次生影响，这次（爆炸）可能就是其中之一。”

2026年9月22日，新任国防部长姜信哲（中）在首尔龙山国防部举行的就职典礼上发表就职演说。（韩联社）

当被问及是否会以新身份向平壤发出关于其修建围栏和布雷活动的严厉警告时，康表示“同意”。

“你一直说我们在朝鲜问题上如履薄冰，但事实并非如此，”他说。“（在我的任命听证会上）我明确表示，朝鲜军队是我们的敌人。”

康还透露，韩国军方尚未证实疑似地雷爆炸是否发生在朝鲜被怀疑非法越境埋设地雷的地点。

康告诉记者：“坦白说，问题在于你提到的雷区区域、我们人员进入的巡逻路线以及爆炸的确切地点是否吻合。”

“问题是我们目前还无法证实这一点。这正是调查需要确定的问题，”他说。

康指出，军方尚未获得爆炸现场的清晰影像，理由是缓冲区内地形复杂，阻碍了视线。

“理想情况下，我们会依靠相关人员的记忆，直接询问他们从哪里进入，但目前的情况显然使这变得困难，”他说。“截至目前，没有任何清晰的线索，仍然难以确认这三个地点是否一致。”

爆炸发生在非军事区内，该缓冲区覆盖了分隔朝韩两国的军事分界线。爆炸导致一名陆军营长重伤，另一名军官腿部骨折。第三名军官也受了伤，但伤势较轻。

联合参谋本部（JCS）周二在新闻发布会上表示，军官们正在为即将进行的联合国军司令部（UNC）实地视察扫清障碍，以检查非军事区南侧的地点，朝鲜军队被怀疑在这些地点埋设地雷，可能违反了停战协定。

曾任韩国-美国联合部队司令部（CFC）副司令的康某于8月30日被李在明总统提名。

康元杰以部长身份正式上任，当天早些时候前往首尔国立公墓向阵亡将士致敬。

2026年9月22日，新任国防部长姜信哲（中）就职首日，前往首尔国立公墓祭奠阵亡将士。此照片由韩国国防部提供。（照片非卖品）（韩联社）

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新任国防部长敦促朝鲜在非军事区爆炸事件后停止边境强化行动。