Three South Korean military officers wounded in explosion near border

South Korean officers injured in DMZ explosion, possibly caused by a landmine, according to local media reports.

A sign indicating land mines is seen while hikers visit the DMZ Peace Trail in the demilitarised zone in Goseong, South Korea [File: Ahn Young-joon/AP]

Three South Korean military officers have been wounded in an explosion in the western sector of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The cause of Monday’s explosion was not immediately clear, the Ministry of Defence said.

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Two of the officers were evacuated from the site by helicopter, while the third was transported by land before being airlifted, according to the ministry. The officers are being treated at a military hospital near the capital Seoul, it said.

Mine explosions and other blasts are a recurring hazard in and around the DMZ, where legacy ⁠devices and suspected stray mines have periodically wounded military personnel on both sides.

The DMZ, which is 248km (154 miles) long and 4km (2.5 miles) wide, is one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. An estimated 2 million mines are peppered inside and near the border, which is also guarded by barbed wire fences, tank traps and combat troops on both sides. The zone is a legacy of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, which ended with an armistice but not a peace treaty.

There have been growing concerns in South Korea about increased activity by North Korean soldiers near the military demarcation line as the North strengthens its border defences during prolonged tensions.

据当地媒体报道，韩国军官在非军事区爆炸中受伤，爆炸可能是由地雷引起的。

在韩国高城非军事区，徒步旅行者参观DMZ和平步道时，可以看到指示地雷的标志。[图片：安永俊/美联社]

韩国联合参谋本部表示，在分隔朝鲜和韩国的非军事区（DMZ）西部地区发生的爆炸中，三名韩国军官受伤。

国防部表示，周一爆炸的原因尚不清楚。

韩国表示美朝会谈可能，排除霍尔木兹岛部署的可能性（共3条，此为第1条）。

首尔法院判令朝鲜赔偿3250万美元，原因是其炸毁了首尔办公室（共3条记录，此为第2条）。

朝鲜向东海岸发射弹道导弹（共3条记录，此为第3条），首尔方面表示

据国防部消息，两名受伤军官已由直升机撤离现场，第三名军官先经陆路转运，后转乘直升机。目前，这些军官正在首尔附近的一家军医院接受治疗。

在非军事区及其周边地区，地雷爆炸和其他爆炸是反复出现的危险，遗留装置和疑似流弹地雷不时造成双方军事人员受伤。

非军事区长248公里（154英里），宽4公里（2.5英里），是世界上军事部署最严密的边界之一。据估计，边界内及附近埋设了约200万枚地雷，此外，边界两侧还部署了铁丝网、反坦克障碍物和作战部队。该区域是1950年至1953年朝鲜战争的遗留产物，这场战争以停战协定结束，但并未签署和平条约。

随着朝鲜在持续紧张局势中加强边境防御，韩国越来越担心朝鲜士兵在军事分界线附近的活动日益频繁。