Unification minister proposes talks with N. Korea over border line amid DMZ tensions

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young proposed talks with North Korea on Friday to address border issues amid heightened tensions after last week’s DMZ mine blast. He said the two Koreas should meet, communicate, and recheck the Military Demarcation Line, while warning against resuming anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts. The defense ministry says discrepancies exist between the UNC’s MDL baseline and the South Korean military’s across about 60 percent of border coordinates.

The Sept. 21 land mine explosion on the South side of the Military Demarcation Line injured three South Korean soldiers, two of them critically.

Chung cut short his trip to Europe and returned on Thursday to handle the fallout from the blast.

Upon the signing of the armistice agreement in 1953, the U.N. Command and the North Korean military installed 1,292 signs along the MDL.

Only around 200 of those MDL signs remain intact today because many have deteriorated over time due to weather exposure and lack of maintenance.

Published Oct 2, 2026 11:11 am KST

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks to reporters as he arrives at the Government Complex Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Friday proposed to North Korea talks to address issues along the border, amid heightened inter-Korean tensions over last week's mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Chung made the remark after the South's military blamed North Korea for the Sept. 21 land mine explosion on the South's side of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) separating the two Koreas. The incident left three South Korean soldiers injured, two of them critically.

Earlier this week, the South Korean military demanded an apology and responsible measures from the North over the blast. Pyongyang has categorically denied its involvement, accusing Seoul of fabricating its investigation result to pin the blame on the regime.

"The root cause of this incident ultimately lies in the issue of the ceasefire line, the MDL line," Chung told reporters upon arriving for work. He cut short his trip to Europe and returned Thursday to handle the fallout from the land mine blast.

"I, as unification minister, propose to the North: We should meet now and communicate. We should at least start communicating, verifying the MDL and surveying it again," he said, citing the fading visibility of the border line as a primary factor behind the DMZ blast.

The minister also cautioned against resuming anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts along the border in response to the blast, calling such a move an "irresponsible and dangerous" act.

Chung reiterated that Seoul has no intention of treating Pyongyang with hostility and that the two Koreas must sit down together to pave the way for a peaceful coexistence.

"No one should try to use this incident to disparage and distort the government's consistent efforts toward peace," he said.

Upon the signing of the armistice agreement in 1953, the U.N. Command (UNC) and the North Korean military installed 1,292 signs along the MDL to mark the ceasefire line.

However, only around 200 remain intact today, as many have deteriorated over time due to weather exposure and lack of maintenance.

The defense ministry has acknowledged that discrepancies exist between the UNC's MDL baseline and that of the South Korean military across roughly 60 percent of the border coordinates.

韩国统一部长官郑东荣周五提议与朝鲜举行会谈，以解决上周非军事区地雷爆炸事件后日益紧张的边境问题。他表示，朝韩双方应会面、沟通并重新核查军事分界线，同时警告不要恢复反朝广播。韩国国防部称，在约60%的边境坐标上，联合国军划定的军事分界线基线与韩国军方划定的基线存在差异。

9月21日，军事分界线南侧发生地雷爆炸，造成三名韩国士兵受伤，其中两人伤势严重。

钟先生缩短了欧洲之行，于周四返回英国处理爆炸事件的后续事宜。

1953 年停战协定签署后，联合国军司令部和朝鲜军队沿军事分界线设立了 1292 个标志。

由于风吹日晒和缺乏维护，许多 MDL 标志牌随着时间的推移而损坏，如今只有大约 200 个仍然完好无损。

发布于2026年10月2日上午11:11（韩国标准时间）

韩国统一部长官郑东泳周五抵达首尔政府大楼时接受记者采访。（韩联社）

韩国统一部长官郑东荣周五向朝鲜提议举行会谈，以解决边境问题。此前，由于上周非军事区（DMZ）内发生地雷爆炸，朝韩关系高度紧张。

在韩国军方指责朝鲜策划了9月21日发生在朝韩军事分界线韩方一侧的地雷爆炸事件后，郑义宣发表了上述言论。该事件造成三名韩国士兵受伤，其中两人伤势严重。

本周早些时候，韩国军方要求朝鲜就爆炸事件道歉并采取负责任的措施。平壤方面断然否认参与其中，并指责首尔捏造调查结果，企图将责任推卸给朝鲜政权。

“这起事件的根源归根结底在于停火线，也就是军事分界线的问题，”钟在抵达工作地点后告诉记者。他缩短了欧洲之行，于周四返回韩国处理地雷爆炸事件的后续事宜。

“我作为统一部长，向北方提议：我们现在应该会面沟通。我们至少应该开始沟通，核实军事分界线并再次勘测，”他说道，并指出边界线的可见性降低是导致非军事区爆炸的主要原因。

该部长还警告不要因爆炸事件而恢复在边境沿线进行反平壤扩音器广播，称这种做法是“不负责任和危险的”。

郑重申，首尔无意以敌对态度对待平壤，朝韩双方必须坐下来共同为和平共处铺平道路。

他说：“任何人都不应该利用这一事件来诋毁和歪曲政府为实现和平所做的持续努力。”

1953 年停战协定签署后，联合国军司令部 (UNC) 和朝鲜军队沿军事分界线 (MDL) 设立了 1292 个标志，以标明停火线。

然而，如今只有大约 200 座建筑保存完好，因为许多建筑由于风吹日晒和缺乏维护而随着时间的推移而损坏。

国防部承认，联合国军的军事决策线与韩国军方的军事决策线在约 60% 的边界坐标上存在差异。