UNC deputy commander stresses 'careful, transparent' approach after DMZ mine blast

United Nations Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Scott Winter called for careful planning and transparent communications after a Sept. 21 land mine blast in the DMZ injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul blamed North Korea, while Pyongyang rejected the accusation and said Seoul fabricated its investigation. Winter said the UNC aims to prevent incidents and avoid escalation, but declined to discuss details of its ongoing joint investigation with Seoul.

The blast occurred during an operation to clear a path for a UNC investigation into North Korean border-hardening activities, including fence construction and mine-laying.

The UNC determined that an antipersonnel mine found south of the Military Demarcation Line after the explosion constituted an Armistice Agreement violation.

The UNC communicates with the North Korean military twice a day through an established channel, Winter said.

The UNC administers and maintains the Military Demarcation Line and the DMZ buffer zone, which extends 2 kilometers to the north and south of the line.

Under the Armistice Agreement, the UNC has investigative authority over cross-border incidents, including unauthorized crossings and land mine activities.

Published Oct 22, 2026 4:54 pm KST

Updated Oct 22, 2026 5:41 pm KST

Lt. Gen. Scott Winter, deputy commander of the U.N. Command, speaks in an interview at Dragon Hill Lodge Hotel in Seoul, April 23. Yonhap

The deputy commander of the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) has stressed the need for a "careful and transparent" planning and communications in addressing incidents along the inter-Korean border, following last month's land mine blast that injured South Korean soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Scott Winter made the remarks on a podcast Wednesday (London time), as tensions have heightened since the Sept. 21 mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas injured three South Korean troops, with two of them severely.

Seoul and Pyongyang have since been locked in a fiery tit-for-tat exchange of barbs, with the South blaming the North for the incident in violation of the Armistice Agreement governing the fortified border, while the North has accused Seoul of fabricating its investigation to pin the blame on the regime.

"My response from a United Nations Command perspective is to double down on the importance of us being careful and transparent and robust in our planning and transparent in our communications to avoid any incident occurring in the first place," Winter said on the podcast, which was hosted by the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.

"But where it does occur, (we ensure) that there isn't an escalation or something (that) is seen as a provocation," he said.

The UNC is responsible for administering and maintaining the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), and the DMZ buffer zone that sits 2 kilometers north and south of the border line.

The blast occurred during an operation to clear a path for a UNC investigation into the North's border-hardening activities, such as erecting fences and laying mines, in potential violation of the armistice.

While Seoul has concluded Pyongyang was behind the explosion, the UNC has only determined that an antipersonnel mine discovered on the southern side of the MDL after the explosion constitutes an armistice violation.

Critics in Seoul have questioned the UNC's response, voicing concern over what they view as a passive stance.

Speaking on the podcast, Winter declined to provide details on the UNC's joint investigation with Seoul into the blast, noting that the inquiry remains under way.

He neither elaborated on whether the UNC has specifically contacted Pyongyang regarding the land mine blast nor its potential armistice violation, only stating that the command speaks to the North Korean military "twice a day" through their communication channel.

"We talk through these, we report these incidents with them straight away," he said. "Should they end up being violations, we communicate that in the firmest possible manner."

"(The blast) shows ... the need for transparency, hence the importance of our communication with the KPA through the lines of communication that we keep open," Winter noted, referring to the North's Korean People's Army.

Under the Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, the UNC also has an investigative authority over cross-border incidents, such as unauthorized border crossings and land mine activities, which serves to prevent hostilities on the Korean Peninsula.

联合国军司令部副司令斯科特·温特中将呼吁各方进行周密计划和透明沟通。此前，9月21日发生在非军事区的地雷爆炸事件导致三名韩国士兵受伤。首尔方面指责朝鲜，而平壤方面则否认了这一指控，并称首尔捏造了调查结果。温特表示，联合国军司令部的目标是防止类似事件发生并避免局势升级，但他拒绝透露与首尔正在进行的联合调查的细节。

爆炸发生在为联合国调查朝鲜边境强化活动（包括修建围栏和布雷）清理道路的行动期间。

联合国军认定，爆炸后在军事分界线以南发现的一枚杀伤人员地雷违反了停战协定。

温特说，北卡罗来纳大学每天通过既定渠道与朝鲜军方进行两次沟通。

联合国军负责管理和维护军事分界线和非军事区缓冲区，该缓冲区向分界线南北两侧延伸 2 公里。

根据停战协定，联合国军司令部对跨境事件拥有调查权，包括未经授权的越境和地雷活动。

发布于2026年10月22日下午4:54（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月22日下午5:41（韩国标准时间）

4月23日，联合国军副司令斯科特·温特中将在首尔龙山酒店接受采访。（韩联社）

上个月韩国士兵在韩朝边境遭遇地雷爆炸受伤后，以美国为首的联合国军司令部（UNC）副司令强调，在处理韩朝边境事件时，需要进行“谨慎和透明”的规划和沟通。

斯科特·温特中将周三（伦敦时间）在播客节目中发表了上述言论。此前，9 月 21 日，在分隔朝韩的非军事区 (DMZ) 内发生地雷爆炸，造成三名韩国士兵受伤，其中两人伤势严重，导致紧张局势加剧。

此后，首尔和平壤之间爆发了激烈的口水战，韩国指责朝鲜违反了管辖边境的停战协定，而朝鲜则指责首尔捏造调查结果，将责任推卸给朝鲜政权。

“从联合国军司令部的角度来看，我的回应是，我们必须加倍重视在计划中保持谨慎、透明和稳健，并在沟通中保持透明，以避免任何事件的发生，”温特在由位于伦敦的皇家联合军种国防与安全研究所主办的播客节目中说道。

他说：“但如果真的发生了这种情况，（我们会确保）不会出现事态升级或被视为挑衅的情况。”

联合国军负责管理和维护军事分界线 (MDL) 以及位于边界线南北两侧 2 公里的非军事区缓冲区。

爆炸发生在为联合国军调查北方加强边境防御的活动（例如架设围栏和埋设地雷）而进行的清理行动期间，这些活动可能违反了停战协定。

尽管首尔方面认定平壤是爆炸的幕后黑手，但联合国军司令部仅认定，爆炸后在军事分界线南侧发现的一枚杀伤人员地雷构成违反停战协定。

首尔的批评人士对联合国大会的回应提出质疑，对他们眼中这种被动的立场表示担忧。

在播客节目中，温特拒绝透露北卡罗来纳大学与首尔方面就爆炸事件进行的联合调查的细节，并指出调查仍在进行中。

他既没有详细说明联合国军司令部是否就地雷爆炸事件或其可能违反停战协定一事与平壤方面进行了具体接触，只是表示该司令部每天通过其通信渠道与朝鲜军方进行“两次”通话。

他说：“我们会和他们沟通，并立即向他们报告这些事件。如果最终认定为违规行为，我们会以最坚决的态度进行沟通。”

“（爆炸）表明……透明度的必要性，因此，我们通过保持畅通的沟通渠道与朝鲜人民军进行沟通至关重要，”温特指出，他指的是朝鲜人民军。

根据结束 1950-53 年朝鲜战争的停战协定，联合国军还对跨境事件（如未经授权的越境和地雷活动）拥有调查权，这有助于防止朝鲜半岛发生敌对行动。