(2nd LD) Land mine explodes at DMZ during military operation over suspected N. Korean minefield: JCS

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(ATTN: ADDS paras 9-11, photo) By Kim Hyun-soo

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- A suspected land mine exploded at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) earlier this week during a route clearance operation to identify a potential North Korea-created minefield south of the inter-Korean border, South Korea's military said Tuesday.

The explosion occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the western sector of the DMZ, separating the two Koreas, on Monday, leaving three military officers injured, including one who lost his ankle.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the explosion took place during a military operation to clear a route in the DMZ ahead of an on-site inspection by the United Nations Command (UNC) set for early next week.

The South Korean military earlier said it had identified some terrain changes in some parts south of the DMZ and was in consultations with the UNC over the possibility that North Korean troops may have planted land mines.

"The site of the explosion was near the MDL," JCS spokesperson Jang Do-young told a press briefing.

"We plan to determine the exact location and cause of the explosion through an on-site inspection, once safety is secured, in coordination with the UNC," he said.

A dozen troops were conducting the route clearance mission using mine detectors at the time of the suspected land mine explosion, Jang explained.

Military authorities said they are investigating the cause of the explosion, leaving "all possibilities open," including the possibility that the North Korean troops buried land mines.

An Army Surion helicopter flies above the western sector of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the border county of Paju on Sept. 22, 2026, after an unidentified explosion occurred the previous day. (Yonhap)

North Korea has been fortifying the border since April 2024 by reinforcing barbed wire fences, planting mines and erecting anti-tank barriers along the MDL after its leader Kim Jong-un declared inter-Korean ties as those between "two states hostile to each other" in late 2023.

North Korean troops have increased their crossing of the heavily fortified DMZ recently, with more than 20 border crossings reported last month alone, exceeding the 17 cases for all of 2025.

The two officers who sustained serious wounds were wearing protective clothing and demining gear at the time of the incident, the JCS said. They underwent surgery and are in no life-threatening condition.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson expressed his "deepest sympathies" to the soldiers injured during Monday's DMZ operation.

"On behalf of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea, I extend my deepest sympathies to the Republic of Korea soldiers injured yesterday during operations in the Demilitarized Zone, and to their families," Brunson wrote. "I wish them a full and speedy recovery."

"The ROK-U.S. Alliance stands with the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and we appreciate the sacrifices its soldiers make daily to secure the DMZ and defend the Korean Peninsula," he added.

This map shows the site of where a suspected land mine explosion occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the western sector of the DMZ separating the two Koreas on Sept. 21, 2026. (Yonhap)

sookim@yna.co.kr (END)

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(2nd LD) Land mine explodes at DMZ during military operation over suspected N. Korean minefield: JCS

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（注：新增第9-11段及照片）金贤洙报道

首尔，9月22日（韩联社）——韩国军方周二表示，本周早些时候，在非军事区（DMZ）进行的一次道路清障行动中，一枚疑似地雷爆炸。此次行动旨在查明朝韩边境以南可能存在的朝鲜设置的雷区。

爆炸发生在周一，地点位于分隔朝韩两国的非军事区西部军事分界线（MDL）以南，造成三名军官受伤，其中一人失去了脚踝。

参谋长联席会议（JCS）表示，爆炸发生在联合国军司令部（UNC）下周初进行现场视察之前，为清理非军事区（DMZ）的一条道路而进行的军事行动期间。

韩国军方早前表示，已在非军事区以南的一些地区发现地形变化，并正在与联合国军就朝鲜军队可能埋设地雷的可能性进行磋商。

“爆炸地点靠近军事分界线，”联合参谋本部发言人张道英在新闻发布会上表示。

他说：“我们计划在确保安全后，与北卡罗来纳大学协调，通过现场勘查来确定爆炸的确切地点和原因。”

张解释说，当时有十几名士兵正在使用探雷器执行道路清雷任务，疑似发生了地雷爆炸。

军方表示，他们正在调查爆炸原因，并“不排除任何可能性”，包括朝鲜军队埋设地雷的可能性。

2026年9月22日，一架陆军“苏里翁”直升机在边境郡坡州市非军事区西部上空飞行。此前一天，该地区发生了一起不明爆炸事件。（韩联社）

自2024年4月以来，朝鲜一直在加强边境防御，包括加固铁丝网、埋设地雷以及在军事分界线沿线设置反坦克障碍。此前，朝鲜领导人金正恩于2023年底宣布朝韩关系是“两个相互敌对的国家”之间的关系。

朝鲜军队最近增加了穿越戒备森严的非军事区的次数，仅上个月就报告了 20 多起越境事件，超过了 2025 年全年的 17 起。

联合参谋部表示，两名受重伤的军官事发时身穿防护服和排雷装备。他们已接受手术，目前没有生命危险。

在 X（前身为 Twitter）上，驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森发帖，对周一非军事区行动中受伤的士兵表示“最深切的慰问”。

布伦森写道：“我谨代表联合国军司令部、联合部队司令部和驻韩美军，向昨天在非军事区行动中受伤的韩国士兵及其家属致以最深切的慰问。祝愿他们早日康复。”

“韩美同盟与韩国军队站在一起，我们感谢韩国士兵每天为保卫非军事区和朝鲜半岛所做出的牺牲，”他补充道。

这张地图显示了2026年9月21日发生在朝韩非军事区西段军事分界线以南的疑似地雷爆炸地点。（韩联社）

sookim@yna.co.kr (完)

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（第二次）在对疑似朝鲜雷区进行军事行动期间，非军事区发生地雷爆炸：联合参谋本部