(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Cheol-seon = An accident presumed to be a landmine explosion occurred during a search operation in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the morning of the 21st at the front line unit of the Army's 25th Division, which has jurisdiction over the Western Front.
In this accident, a South Korean military officer suffered serious injuries, including an amputated ankle, and a helicopter was deployed inside the DMZ to transport the patients to the hospital.
An official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "Three of our military executives who were conducting operations south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone on the Western Front were injured in an unknown explosion."
He then explained, "The two injured executives are being urgently transported and treated at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital using an emergency helicopter." He added, "The soldiers who performed the operation, including one injured executive, will also be transported to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital for detailed examinations and other health conditions."
The accident occurred at around 10:50 a.m. on the western front under the jurisdiction of the 25th Division. It is known as the border area between Paju and Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.
It was reported that at the time, our military was conducting a 'search route development operation' within the DMZ. This is an operation to secure safe passage by checking explosive hazards such as mines and unexploded bombs in unidentified areas.
It is reported that the search battalion leader who participated in the search operation was seriously injured in the explosion, with his ankle amputated. The military cooperated with the United Nations Command to send an emergency helicopter to the DMZ to evacuate the patient, and it was reported that the patient was undergoing surgery at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital.
All three people injured in the DMZ explosion were reported to have no life-threatening injuries.
Military authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion and are focusing on a mine explosion.
However, it has not been confirmed whether a landmine planted by the North Korean military exploded or whether the accident occurred due to a landmine by our military.
There is a possibility that an unknown landmine may have exploded during an operation to open a search route in the DMZ, as well as the possibility that a landmine that was washed down by heavy rain in the North Korean region may have exploded.
Since the declaration of 'two hostile countries', North Korea has been working on 'border fortification', such as laying a tactical road and planting land mines near the Military Demarcation Line, and some are raising the possibility that the land mines installed by North Korea may have exploded.
Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party held a press conference at the National Assembly on this day and claimed that the 25th Division, where the accident occurred, is where the North Korean military crossed the MDL and created a minefield, and that "the area where the explosion occurred today is near the North Korean military's minefield."
It was also argued that the possibility that the explosion on this day was caused by a North Korean landmine cannot be ruled out. In fact, the damage caused by landmine explosions, including ankle amputation, is similar to the 'North Korean wooden box landmine' incident in 2015.
However, when asked about the possibility that it was a friendly landmine, a lost North Korean landmine, or a landmine intentionally laid by North Korea, a Joint Chiefs of Staff official said, "We will investigate while keeping all possibilities open," but explained, "The area where the accident occurred is far from the area in question (presumed North Korean mines were placed south of the DMZ)."
The Joint Chiefs of Staff did not inform the media about the DMZ explosion until about 2 hours and 30 minutes after it occurred.
An official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, “The safety of the soldiers was the top priority, and the explanation was delayed because we were in the middle of a patient transport operation.”
Regarding this accident, the UNC said, "We are aware of a situation in which a Korean soldier was injured in the DMZ," and added, "As the related investigation is ongoing, we have no further comment."
It has been approximately 11 years since the wooden box mine incident caused by the North Korean military on August 4, 2015, when a landmine exploded and seriously injured someone in the demilitarized zone south of the MDL.
At that time, the North Korean army crossed 440 meters south of the MDL and placed a wooden box mine in the gate of the propulsion fence near the Korean GP. When this mine exploded, Sergeant Ha Jae-heon (at the time) lost both legs and Sergeant Kim Jeong-won (at the time) lost his right leg.
It has been about 10 months since the latest DMZ mine explosion occurred on November 20, 2025.
At that time, an explosion occurred at the DMZ on the western front in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, and a sergeant in his 20s who was on a mine detection mission suffered what was believed to be a fractured ankle in the accident.
