Soldier's statement points to possible unexploded land mine at DMZ blast site

An undetonated land mine was spotted at the DMZ blast site, military sources said Monday, as South Korea investigates last week’s explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line. The blast is suspected to have been caused by North Korean land mines, and the on-site probe is continuing. Two South Korean soldiers were severely wounded and a third was lightly injured.

The South Korean military and the U.N. Command launched a joint investigation on Sunday into the DMZ explosion.

The military investigation team was unable to reach the blast site during Sunday’s operation after clearing a path close to it.

The National Forensic Service is analyzing mine fragments and explosive residue collected from the soldiers’ protective suits.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said it remains difficult to pinpoint the exact type of land mine based on initial testimonies.

Military experts said North Korean mines appear more likely than South Korea’s standard M14 or M16 antipersonnel mines, given the severity of the injuries and the suspicions of North Korean planting.

Published Sep 28, 2026 11:25 am KST

Updated Sep 28, 2026 12:55 pm KST

South Korean military and United Nations Command personnel secure an access route inside the Demilitarized Zone, Saturday, ahead of an on-site probe into a suspected land mine explosion. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff

An undetonated land mine was spotted at the site of last week's explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), according to military sources Monday, citing initial statements from soldiers involved in the blast.

The statement was obtained as the military is working to determine the exact cause of last Monday's blast that occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) inside the DMZ separating the two Koreas. Two South Korean soldiers were severely wounded, with a third sustaining minor injuries.

The incident, which involved two separate explosions, is suspected of having been triggered by North Korean land mines.

It is too early to verify the statements regarding the additional land mine, including whether it belongs to North Korean forces, as the military investigation team was unable to reach the blast site during an operation Sunday, sources familiar with the probe said.

As the on-site investigation continues, retrieving the unexploded mine will be crucial to gathering evidence and making progress in the probe.

On Monday, a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said it received testimony from troops on the ground that they witnessed a land mine similar to a North Korean wooden-box one near the explosion site.

"We received testimony that (what the troops witnessed) was similar to a wooden-box land mine," the JCS official told reporters during a regular press briefing.

Three wooden-box land mines planted by North Korea exploded on the South Korean side of the DMZ in August 2015, seriously injuring two South Korean soldiers.

"There were some testimonies that said the object was similar in appearance to a wooden-box mine and appeared to be made of plastic, while another person testified that it was believed to be a different type of mine," the official said, adding they plan to clarify the type of land mines on site and explain their findings.

The South Korean military and the U.N. Command (UNC), which oversees the border area, launched the joint investigation into the DMZ explosion Sunday.

They sought to reach the blast site to collect mine debris and other evidence material, but were forced to end the operations at sunset after clearing a path close to the site.

The National Forensic Service is currently analyzing mine fragments, explosive residue collected from the soldiers' protective suits. The JCS has not yet been notified of the forensic results.

Some military experts believe the explosion was more likely caused by North Korean mines than South Korea's standard M14 or M16 antipersonnel mines, given the severity of the injuries and suspicions that North Korean troops planted mines in the area.

If confirmed as North Korean mines, the military will need to determine whether they were washed away due to rain or intentionally planted. The latter would amount to a violation of the armistice agreement.

"We have initial testimonies based on which it remains difficult to pinpoint (the exact type of) land mines," Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul told a Yonhap reporter upon arriving at his office earlier in the day.

"We will explain everything to the public once we verify those details through the on-site investigation," he said.

The blast occurred during an operation to clear a path for a joint inspection between the South's military and the UNC to verify Seoul's suspicions that Pyongyang illegally buried land mines across the border in violation of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War.

Forensic authorities are expected to release initial findings from their analysis of the collected evidence soon.

军方消息人士周一表示，在非军事区爆炸现场发现了一枚未引爆的地雷。韩国正在调查上周发生在军事分界线以南的爆炸事件。爆炸疑似由朝鲜埋设的地雷引起，现场调查仍在进行中。两名韩国士兵重伤，另一名士兵轻伤。

韩国军方和联合国军司令部于周日对非军事区爆炸事件展开联合调查。

周日的行动中，军方调查小组在清理了爆炸地点附近的一条道路后，仍未能抵达爆炸现场。

国家法医服务部门正在分析从士兵防护服上收集到的地雷碎片和爆炸物残留物。

国防部长姜信哲表示，根据初步证词，仍然很难确定地雷的确切类型。

军事专家表示，考虑到伤势的严重性以及怀疑是朝鲜埋设地雷，朝鲜地雷的可能性似乎比韩国标准的 M14 或 M16 反步兵地雷更大。

发布于2026年9月28日上午11:25（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月28日下午12:55（韩国标准时间）

周六，韩国军方和联合国军司令部人员在非军事区内封锁了一条通道，准备对一起疑似地雷爆炸事件进行现场调查。图片由韩国联合参谋本部提供。

据军方消息人士周一援引参与爆炸事件的士兵的初步陈述称，在上周非军事区（DMZ）爆炸现场发现了一枚未引爆的地雷。

这份声明是在军方正在调查上周一发生在朝韩非军事区内、军事分界线以南的爆炸事件的确切原因之际获得的。爆炸造成两名韩国士兵重伤，另有一名士兵轻伤。

这起事件涉及两起独立的爆炸，怀疑是由朝鲜地雷引发的。

据熟悉调查情况的消息人士称，由于军事调查组在周日的行动中未能抵达爆炸现场，因此现在核实有关额外地雷的说法（包括该地雷是否属于朝鲜军队）还为时过早。

随着现场调查的继续，回收未爆炸的地雷对于收集证据和推进调查至关重要。

周一，一名参谋长联席会议（JCS）官员表示，他们从地面部队得到证词，称他们在爆炸地点附近目睹了一枚类似于朝鲜木箱地雷的地雷。

“我们收到的证词表明，（部队目睹的）情况类似于木箱地雷，”联合参谋部官员在例行新闻发布会上告诉记者。

2015 年 8 月，朝鲜埋设的三枚木箱地雷在非军事区韩国一侧爆炸，造成两名韩国士兵重伤。

“一些证词称该物体外观类似于木箱地雷，似乎是用塑料制成的，而另一人作证称，据信它是另一种类型的地雷，”该官员说，并补充说，他们计划查明现场地雷的类型并解释他们的发现。

韩国军方和负责边境地区的联合国军司令部（UNC）于周日对非军事区爆炸事件展开联合调查。

他们试图到达爆炸现场收集地雷碎片和其他证据材料，但在清理出一条靠近现场的道路后，由于日落，被迫结束了行动。

国家法医鉴定中心目前正在分析地雷碎片和从士兵防护服上采集的爆炸物残留物。联合参谋部尚未收到法医鉴定结果。

一些军事专家认为，考虑到伤亡的严重程度以及怀疑朝鲜军队在该地区埋设地雷，爆炸更有可能是由朝鲜地雷引起的，而不是韩国标准的 M14 或 M16 反步兵地雷。

如果确认是朝鲜地雷，军方需要确定它们是被雨水冲刷掉的，还是人为埋设的。后者将构成对停战协定的违反。

“我们根据初步证词，仍然很难确定（确切的）地雷类型，”国防部长康信哲当天早些时候抵达办公室时告诉韩联社记者。

他说：“一旦我们通过现场调查核实了这些细节，我们将向公众解释一切。”

爆炸发生在韩国军方和联合国军联合检查的行动中，目的是清理道路，以核实首尔的怀疑，即平壤违反了结束 1950-53 年朝鲜战争的停战协定，非法在边境埋设地雷。

预计法医部门将很快公布对收集到的证据进行分析的初步结果。