North Korea has accused South Korea of inventing a landmine blast that wounded three of its soldiers, escalating an already volatile dispute before the United Nations Security Council.
In a letter reported by state media, Pyongyang rejected Seoul’s claim that the explosion inside the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) was caused by mines laid by the North. Tensions between the two Koreas have surged since South Korea made that allegation last month.
- Advertisement -
North Korea’s permanent representative to the United Nations addressed the Security Council over what the letter called “the provocation the ROK committed by groundlessly shifting the blame for the dubious ‘mine explosion incident’”.
The blast, the letter said, was “fabricated by the ROK” as part of a “sinister obstructive move” intended to portray North Korea’s fortification of its southern border as a “military invasion” and hinder the work. The statement used the official acronyms for both countries.
Pyongyang said its continuing efforts to reinforce the border amounted to “a legitimate and just exercise of its sovereignty going in strict conformity with the UN Charter”. It also condemned South Korea for firing warning shots at North Korean soldiers taking part in the construction.
“This is a wanton violation of Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter which stresses the need to refrain from the use of force or threat against territorial integrity of any country in international relations,” the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted the statement as saying.
South Korea’s foreign ministry submitted its own letter to the president of the UN Security Council last week, repeating its assertion that a North Korean landmine caused the explosion and describing the incident as a “clear violation of the armistice agreement”.
North Korea’s response came days after South Korea proposed military talks aimed at “mutually confirm[ing] the precise location” of the border and discussing the restoration of communication channels.
Seoul made the proposal after Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Pyongyang had moved new troop units into “firing position” along the border.
