North Korea tells UN that Seoul 'fabricated' landmine blast
Pyongyang rejects blame for the explosion in the Demilitarized Zone that wounded three South Korean soldiers and warns of self-defence.
Symbolic image · Photo: yeowatzup / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
North Korea's ambassador to the U.N. has written to the Security Council accusing South Korea of "groundlessly shifting the blame" for a "dubious 'mine explosion incident'" in the border zone. According to state news agency KCNA, Pyongyang called Seoul's accusations a "farce" and said its border fortification work was a lawful exercise of sovereignty.
On Sept. 21, an explosion in the Demilitarized Zone wounded three South Korean soldiers; Seoul blamed North Korean landmines. In the letter, North Korea also accused the South of firing warning shots at its soldiers and warned that violations of its sovereignty could trigger self-defence.
South Korea's Unification Ministry said Pyongyang aimed to justify its fortification work and counter the letter Seoul sent to the U.N. last week. The U.S.-led U.N. Command has also said the mine placement violated the 1953 Armistice Agreement. South Korea's Defence Ministry has proposed military talks to mutually confirm the precise location of the border.