Le Figaro Actualités1 hour agoWorld2 min readFrance

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung calls on North Korea to resume dialogue after DMZ mine blasts

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged North Korea to rebuild trust and resume dialogue after mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone injured three South Korean soldiers in September, including one who lost a foot.
Seoul accuses Pyongyang of violating the 1953 armistice, while the North denies any responsibility.
Contact between the two Koreas has been broken since the end of 2023.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The DMZ is a buffer zone 4 km wide and approximately 250 km long separating the two Koreas since the armistice of 1953. Since the end of 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has officially renounced any prospect of reunification and described South Korea as the main enemy, leading to a strengthening of North Korean fortifications in the zone.

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday urged North Korea to "restore trust and resume dialogue" after mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two countries injured three South Korean soldiers in September. “I hope the North will now join us on the path to rebuilding trust and resuming dialogue after a long hiatus,” Lee said in a speech to mark Armed Forces Day.

A South Korean officer lost a foot during this explosion on September 21, which occurred a few meters south of the military demarcation line between the two Koreas, one of the most serious accidents to occur in ten years in the DMZ.

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The United Nations Command (UNC), a multinational force led by the United States in South Korea, and the South Korean government claimed that these were North Korean mines and accused Pyongyang of having violated the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War (1950-1953). Seoul demanded an apology from North Korea, which denied any responsibility for the incident.

The DMZ, a 250 km long buffer zone

“My government will constantly work to implement concrete measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas. The knots in inter-Korean relations are extremely complex, but we will strive, with steadfastness and patience, to untangle them one by one,” Mr. Lee said.

Contact has been completely broken between Seoul and Pyongyang since, at the end of 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un officially renounced any prospect of reunification of the Korean Peninsula and described South Korea as “the main enemy”. North Korea has since undertaken to fortify its part of the DMZ, a buffer zone 4 km wide and approximately 250 km long, considering the demarcation line which runs in the middle as its border with a hostile state rather than as a provisional separation line.

Since coming to power in June 2025, center-left President Lee Jae Myung has increased efforts to try to renew dialogue with the North, so far in vain.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

South Korean government will continue to call for dialogue despite lack of positive response from North Korea
Very likely · Within months
North Korea will maintain its stance of denial of responsibility and continue to fortify its part of the DMZ
Likely · Within months

Open Questions

What evidence does Seoul have to claim the mines were North Korean?
Will North Korea one day recognize its responsibility in the incident?
What concrete measures is the South Korean government planning to reduce military tensions?
Can inter-Korean dialogue resume despite the status of main enemy attributed to Seoul by Pyongyang?

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung calls on North Korea to resume dialogue after DMZ mine blasts

Quick Look

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged North Korea to rebuild trust and resume dialogue after mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone injured three South Korean soldiers in September, including one who lost a foot.
Seoul accuses Pyongyang of violating the 1953 armistice, while the North denies any responsibility.
Contact between the two Koreas has been broken since the end of 2023.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Font size

Skip the ad

The DMZ, a 250 km long buffer zone

Since coming to power in June 2025, center-left President Lee Jae Myung has increased efforts to try to renew dialogue with the North, so far in vain.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

South Korean government will continue to call for dialogue despite lack of positive response from North Korea
Very likely · Within months
North Korea will maintain its stance of denial of responsibility and continue to fortify its part of the DMZ
Likely · Within months

Open Questions

What evidence does Seoul have to claim the mines were North Korean?
Will North Korea one day recognize its responsibility in the incident?
What concrete measures is the South Korean government planning to reduce military tensions?
Can inter-Korean dialogue resume despite the status of main enemy attributed to Seoul by Pyongyang?

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung calls on North Korea to resume dialogue after DMZ mine blasts

Quick Look

Why It Matters

What to Watch

Open Questions

Related Topics

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung calls on North Korea to resume dialogue after DMZ mine blasts

Quick Look

Why It Matters

What to Watch

Open Questions

Related Topics

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