DMZ mine blast puts Seoul's NK outreach at risk

President Lee Jae Myung ordered the military on Tuesday to determine the cause of a land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border and take necessary measures. The order came after an interim investigation found a very high likelihood that North Korean mines caused the Sept. 21 explosions that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul is considering responses such as loudspeaker broadcasts, changes to DMZ operations and action through the United Nations Command.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and the Joint Chiefs of Staff said they would take corresponding measures if the final investigation confirms North Korean mines caused the injuries.

One possible response is resuming loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea, a measure the Park Geun-hye administration used after a 2015 North Korean mine attack.

The military temporarily suspended the next phase of its route-clearing operations after the explosions, pending a safety review.

Moon Seong-mook said any military response should be proportionate and suggested disputes over the Military Demarcation Line be handled through the United Nations Command and the Korean War armistice mechanisms.

Published Sep 29, 2026 3:03 pm KST

Lee orders investigation as expert calls loudspeaker broadcasts effective response

Lt. Gen. Yang Jin-hyuk, director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, describes materials during a briefing on the suspected land mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung ordered the military on Tuesday to determine the cause of a land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border and take necessary measures, raising questions about how his administration, which has been pursuing dialogue with Pyongyang, might respond if North Korea is found responsible.

Possible responses range from resuming propaganda broadcasts along the border to adjusting military operations inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and seeking action through the United Nations Command (UNC). The government has yet to announce any specific measures.

“The military must work closely with the UNC to conduct a swift and thorough investigation and establish the facts transparently,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting. “Necessary measures will then be taken based on the findings.”

His remarks followed an interim military investigation that found a very high likelihood that North Korean mines caused the Sept. 21 explosions, which injured three South Korean soldiers.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) have pledged corresponding measures if the final investigation confirms that mines planted by North Korean troops caused the injuries.

One possible response is the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea, a measure adopted by the Park Geun-hye administration following a North Korean mine attack in 2015.

Moon Seong-mook, director of the Unification Strategy Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, described the broadcasts as an effective means of pressuring Pyongyang.

“Loudspeaker broadcasts are a good option because they can be extremely painful for the North Korean regime,” Moon told The Korea Times.

He said North Korean authorities were particularly sensitive to outside information reaching their soldiers and residents. He cited the 2015 incident, when the broadcasts were followed by heightened military tensions and inter-Korean talks.

A structure believed to be a fixed loudspeaker system for broadcasts toward North Korea is seen near the inter-Korean border in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, July 21, 2024, as the military resumed the broadcasts in response to North Korea's trash-filled balloons. Newsis

But Moon declined to speculate on whether the Lee administration would resume the broadcasts, which Seoul had halted as part of its efforts to ease tensions.

“You would have to ask the presidential office directly,” he said.

Moon acknowledged that renewed broadcasts could heighten tensions and cause anxiety among residents near the border.

Another possibility is adjusting military operations inside the DMZ.

Asked Monday whether the military was considering more aggressive DMZ operations, a JCS official said, “Military operations are fundamentally conducted offensively to secure operational initiative.”

The official said existing operations could be adjusted under military guidelines but stopped short of announcing additional operations.

The military has previously responded to North Korean incursions across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) with warning shots and broadcasts, while expanding search routes and reinforcing protective equipment.

However, the military has temporarily suspended the next phase of its route-clearing operations following the explosions, pending a safety review.

Moon said any military response should be proportionate, arguing that planting mines across the border or shelling North Korean positions would not be appropriate.

“Military responses are fundamentally governed by the principle of proportionality,” he said.

He also suggested that disputes over the precise location of the MDL should be addressed through the UNC and mechanisms established under the Korean War armistice.

The scope of any response will depend partly on whether investigators establish that North Korean troops deliberately targeted South Korean soldiers.

Unlike the 2015 attack, which occurred along a regularly used military route, the latest explosions occurred in an area South Korean troops had for decades only rarely entered.

A JCS official said that distinction made it difficult to conclude that South Korean soldiers had been deliberately targeted.

Asked whether conclusive evidence of North Korean mine-laying would trigger an immediate response, the official said the Defense Ministry and JCS would review the available options.

韩国总统李在明周二下令军方查明朝韩边境附近地雷爆炸的原因，并采取必要措施。此前，一项初步调查显示，9月21日造成三名韩国士兵受伤的爆炸极有可能是由朝鲜地雷引起的。首尔方面正在考虑采取的应对措施，例如通过广播发布通报、调整非军事区行动以及通过联合国军司令部采取行动。

国防部长姜信哲和联合参谋本部表示，如果最终调查证实伤亡是由朝鲜地雷造成的，他们将采取相应的措施。

一种可能的应对措施是恢复向朝鲜进行扩音器广播，这是朴槿惠政府在 2015 年朝鲜地雷袭击事件后采取的措施。

爆炸发生后，军方暂时中止了下一阶段的道路清理行动，等待安全审查结果。

文成穆表示，任何军事反应都应该是相称的，并建议通过联合国军司令部和朝鲜战争停战机​​制来处理有关军事分界线的争议。

发布于2026年9月29日下午3:03（韩国标准时间）

李下令展开调查，专家称扩音器广播将有效应对

周一，在首尔龙山区国防部，联合参谋本部作战主任杨镇赫中将正在听取有关非军事区疑似地雷爆炸事件的简报，并介绍相关材料。（韩联社）

周二，韩国总统李在明下令军方查明朝韩边境附近地雷爆炸的原因，并采取必要措施。这引发了人们的疑问：如果朝鲜被认定为爆炸责任方，一直与平壤进行对话的韩国政府将如何应对。

可能的应对措施包括恢复边境地区的宣传广播、调整非军事区内的军事行动以及寻求联合国军司令部的介入。政府尚未宣布任何具体措施。

李在内阁会议上表示：“军方必须与联合国军密切合作，迅速彻底地展开调查，并以透明的方式查明事实。之后将根据调查结果采取必要措施。”

此前，一项中期军事调查发现，朝鲜地雷极有可能是导致 9 月 21 日爆炸事件的原因，该爆炸事件造成三名韩国士兵受伤。

国防部长姜信哲和联合参谋本部承诺，如果最终调查证实伤亡是由朝鲜军队埋设的地雷造成的，将采取相应的措施。

一种可能的应对措施是恢复向朝鲜进行扩音器广播，这是朴槿惠政府在 2015 年朝鲜地雷袭击事件后采取的措施。

韩国国家战略研究所统一战略中心主任文成穆（Moon Seong-mook）认为，这些广播是向平壤施压的有效手段。

“扩音器广播是一个不错的选择，因为这会让朝鲜政权感到非常痛苦，”文在寅告诉《韩国时报》。

他表示，朝鲜当局对外界信息传播到其士兵和居民手中尤为敏感。他以2015年的事件为例，当时的广播引发了军事紧张局势升级和朝韩对话。

2024年7月21日，在京畿道坡州市朝韩边境附近，可以看到一个据信是用于向朝鲜广播的固定扬声器系统。此前，朝鲜放飞装满垃圾的气球，韩国军方随即恢复了对朝广播。

但文在寅拒绝猜测李在镕政府是否会恢复电视广播，首尔方面此前已暂停电视广播，以缓解紧张局势。

“你得直接问总统办公室，”他说。

文在寅承认，重新进行广播可能会加剧边境附近居民的紧张情绪，并引起他们的焦虑。

另一种可能性是调整非军事区内的军事行动。

周一，当被问及军方是否正在考虑采取更积极的非军事区行动时，一名参谋长联席会议官员表示：“军事行动从根本上来说就是以进攻的方式进行的，以确保作战主动权。”

该官员表示，现有行动可以根据军事指导方针进行调整，但并未宣布其他行动。

此前，朝鲜军队曾对越过军事分界线（MDL）的朝鲜入侵行为进行回应，包括鸣枪示警和广播警告，同时扩大搜索路线并加强防护装备。

然而，爆炸发生后，军方已暂时中止下一阶段的道路清理行动，等待安全审查结果。

文在寅表示，任何军事回应都应该是适度的，他认为在边境埋设地雷或炮击朝鲜阵地是不合适的。

他说：“军事反应从根本上讲要遵循比例原则。”

他还建议，关于多区划的确切位置的争议应通过联合国大会和朝鲜战争停战协定下建立的机制来解决。

任何回应的范围将部分取决于调查人员是否证实朝鲜军队蓄意以韩国士兵为攻击目标。

与 2015 年发生在常用军事路线上的袭击不同，最近发生的爆炸发生在韩国军队几十年来很少进入的地区。

一名韩国联合参谋本部官员表示，这种区别使得很难得出韩国士兵是蓄意攻击目标的结论。

当被问及朝鲜布雷的确凿证据是否会立即引发反应时，这位官员表示，国防部和联合参谋本部将审查可行的方案。