The government took the first step in response to the North Korean landmine explosion that occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the Western Front on the 21st with an operation to remove North Korean landmines buried in the area.
They presented the final conclusion that our soldiers were seriously injured by land mines planted by North Korea south of the MDL, and at the same time, they disclosed the mine removal operation and began full-scale countermeasures against North Korea.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (Joint Chiefs of Staff) announced in a briefing on the final investigation results on the 5th, "The North Korean military mine field south of the MDL, which was the cause of this mine explosion and was recognized by the UNC as a violation of the Armistice Agreement, was removed at around 12:51 today (noon)."
The military did not specifically mention the equipment used in the operation or the removal radius, but released a video of the scene showing two explosions, flames, and black smoke. This means that it was removed through explosion.
A Joint Chiefs of Staff official explained that he understands that even the unexploded mines that soldiers had seen at the scene were removed, including those where there were unexploded mines. “When the search route was first opened (at the time of the accident), there was a possibility that there were mines on the left and right sides, and the mines in those areas were removed,” he explained.
This is the first time that our military has conducted a removal operation against North Korean mines south of the MDL since North Korea's border fortification work began in April 2024.
The fact that our authorities began detonating North Korean land mines as a signal to respond to North Korea is interpreted as an intention to show a firm will to respond through 'physical action' to remove North Korea's land mines south of the MDL, which were the cause of the incident.
There have been observations from experts that it may not be easy for our military to undertake a removal operation against North Korean land mines south of the MDL.
This is because there is a difference in the MDL baseline between North and South Korea, and the area suspected of landmines is very close to the MDL, about 10 meters away, so even if it is south of the MDL, it can provoke North Korea.
There was also a prediction that the key would be whether the United Nations Command (UN Command), which places emphasis on the stable management of the armistice system, would agree to carry out operations such as bringing in mine removal equipment.
However, the UNC also clearly determined that one North Korean plastic anti-infantry land mine discovered at the accident site south of the MDL on the 29th of last month was a violation of the armistice agreement, so it appears that a consensus was reached on the implementation of the operation. It is interpreted that the UNC judged this to be a defensive measure taken by South Korea south of the MDL.
On this day, UNC Military Armistice Commission officials also attended the operation site and confirmed that there were no restrictions on the implementation of the operation, said Yang Jin-hyuk, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Operations Department. He emphasized, “We closely consulted with the UNC throughout the entire process of preparation and implementation of the operation.”
It is known that close consultations regarding this operation were also held between UN Command Commander Xavier Brunson and Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-cheol.
A UNC official told Yonhap News, "The UNC has been working closely with the ROK military to ensure that the necessary access and coordination can be achieved in accordance with the procedures in accordance with the Armistice Agreement. In this case as well, the UNC was ready to support the necessary access and coordination while the ROK military was reviewing appropriate response measures."
It also appears to have taken into account the need for practical measures in areas suspected of North Korea's landmine placement south of the MDL, which are already known to exist in several locations.
If North Korean landmines continue to exist south of the MDL, our military's DMZ operations will inevitably be hindered.
However, there is room to view this mine removal operation as less aggressive than the government's sudden resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts against North Korea during the wooden box mine incident in 2015. This is an interpretation that suggests that while focusing on eliminating the cause of the problem, the need for situation management was also taken into account.
The government is considering additional responses, starting with this mine removal operation.
First of all, North Korea has announced that it will continue to carry out removal operations if the minefields south of the MDL are not voluntarily removed.
An official from the Ministry of National Defense said, "We will take various measures and remove all landmines south of the MDL. You can consider this as the beginning."
Another Ministry of National Defense official emphasized that "it is difficult to agree that landmine removal is passive" and that "this is the first time (the military) has physically removed a minefield" when pointed out that it should not be limited to passive landmine removal and that a proportional military response is needed.
In addition, additional military measures, such as demonstrating the advanced weapon systems possessed by our military, are reportedly being considered.
In addition, at the National Security Council (NSC) Standing Committee held on the 1st, a heated debate reportedly broke out as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented South Korea's own sanctions plan targeting North Korea's illegal cyber activities as a security measure against North Korea, including in response to land mine explosions in the DMZ.
However, the government is showing a reserved position regarding the resumption of loudspeakers against North Korea, which is strongly requested by the opposition, saying that its effectiveness must be judged. Since President Lee Jae-myung declared in his Armed Forces Day commemoration speech on the 1st that he would continue to take measures to reduce military tensions between North and South Korea, some predict that it will be difficult to choose to resume loudspeakers.
An official from the Ministry of National Defense said, “It is true that loudspeakers have been effective at times and have also caused difficulties for local residents,” and added, “We are researching realistic and diverse ways to consider whether loudspeakers may still have a positive effect in the present era.”
