Three individuals, including South Korean soldiers, were injured in a suspected landmine explosion inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) on Monday, September 21, according to South Korea’s Yonhap TV.
A military official confirmed that a soldier from the 25th Infantry Division sustained serious injuries during an operation within the heavily fortified buffer zone that separates North and South Korea. Yonhap TV reported a total of three soldiers were injured in the incident, and they have been transported to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital for treatment.
The origin of the explosive remains unclear; it is not yet known whether the mine was planted by North Korean forces or if it belonged to the South Korean military.
The DMZ, which has divided the Korean peninsula since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice, is recognized as one of the most heavily mined areas globally. Military data cited by Yonhap news agency estimates that approximately 800,000 mines are buried in the region, with many dating back to the Korean War. Despite its historical origins, mine-laying activities have continued. In 2024, North Korea spent months laying fresh mines and constructing anti-tank barriers along the border after leader Kim Jong Un labeled South Korea as his country’s “principal enemy,” part of a wider effort to permanently seal off the frontier