00:00In the end, it was revealed that the landmine that detonated on the Western Front was a North Korean mine.
00:03The blast occurred just 10 meters south of the military demarcation line, the MDL, in other words, it was on
00:07our land.
00:08Today, let's take a proper look at this story. Let's dive right in.
00:10An interim investigation by our military has concluded that it is highly likely that the landmine that detonated in the
00:14demilitarized zone on the Western Front was a North Korean mine.
00:17Currently, our military is conducting an investigation with the UN command into the mine blast inside the DMZ.
00:21The location of the explosion was about 10 meters south of the military demarcation line.
00:24They explained that it was about 10 meters away from an area showing terrain changes, where North Korean troops are
00:29presumed to have recently laid landmines.
00:31They also stated that two mines exploded, and it is highly likely that they were North Korean mines.
00:34Right away, Kwon Daewon, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also stated that they determined this mine explosion
00:39was very likely caused by a North Korean mine.
00:41Furthermore, it is said that our military has no record whatsoever of planting landmines in that area,
00:45and traces of North Korean troops planting mines nearby were reportedly discovered in September 2025.
00:48On top of that, most decisively, an initial analysis of the wounded soldier's gear detected TNT, a component used in
00:54North Korean wooden box mines.
00:56When our military's landmines detonate, steel fragments are produced.
00:59However, seeing that TNT residue was found, the likelihood that it is a North Korean landmine is growing higher and
01:03higher.
01:03Above all, it is said that our military discovered a plastic anti-personnel landmine during the on-site investigation in
01:08the DMZ.
01:08Our military stated that there is a very high possibility this mine explosion was caused by North Korean mines,
01:13adding that if the final investigation concludes our military's casualties were caused by mines planted by the North Korean military,
01:17all responsibility will lie with North Korea.
01:19They also stated that our military will carry out appropriate and corresponding measures.
01:23It is a very serious incident indeed, considering it caused three injured personnel, including a battalion commander who was critically
01:28injured.
01:28Besides that, there are also a number of injured personnel suffering from tinnitus or ruptured eardrums.
01:33The 8-11 AM, 18 service members, including the reconnaissance battalion commander,
01:37departed from the unit and entered the DMZ at 9-13 AM to clear a reconnaissance path.
01:41They didn't enter the area to inspect an existing reconnaissance route,
01:44but rather ventured into an uncharted zone to pioneer a new path to verify suspected North Korean minefields.
01:49Around 10-51 AM, believing they were approaching the MDL, they decided to withdraw,
01:53and during the retreat, the moment a combat engineer took a step, the first explosion occurred.
01:56Afterwards, the reconnaissance battalion commander rushed toward the engineer,
01:59and during that, a second explosion went off.
02:01Right now, this incident is reminiscent of the 2015 wooden box mine incident,
02:04and that's also why comparisons are being drawn to the 2015 wooden box mine incident.
02:08Back then, our military determined that North Korea had crossed the military demarcation line to plant the landmines,
02:12defining it as an act of military provocation by North Korea,
02:15and resumed anti-North loudspeaker broadcasts after an 11-year hiatus since 2004.
02:19High-level inter-Korean talks followed, and after North Korea expressed regret over the mine explosions,
02:23an agreement was reached that included the suspension of the loudspeaker broadcasts.
02:25So, if the final investigation confirms that the North Korean military intentionally planted landmines
02:29recently in areas where our military operates,
02:32a rationale for a response comparable to the 2015 case could very well emerge.
02:35In fact, on the 29th, the People Power Party cited the precedent from that time,
02:38demanding that the loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea be resumed.
02:41However, the government has not yet decided to resume the loudspeaker broadcasts.
02:44Its stance is to review necessary measures in consultation with relevant agencies
02:47once the final investigation results are confirmed.
02:50Also, the biggest problem is that the government has currently suspended loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea.
02:55In this situation, reinstalling the loudspeakers goes beyond merely choosing a military response.
02:58It could also be linked to the current government's policy toward North Korea.
03:01Conversely, demands may arise that some form of response is necessary regarding the incident where our soldiers were injured.
03:06In fact, the ruling and opposition parties are offering differing views on how to respond to this incident.
03:09Therefore, while various possibilities remain open regarding all the militarily and politically necessary options mentioned by the Joint Chiefs of
03:14Staff,
03:15it's hard to say that any specific measure has been decided upon yet.
03:17Yang Jin Hyeok, Chief of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
03:20also explained that the specific course of action would be decided after the final investigation results are released.
03:25In the end, what matters most in this incident goes beyond confirming it was a North Korean mine.
03:29It lies in determining when, how, and for what purpose North Korea laid the mine,
03:32as the scope and intensity of the government's response will inevitably depend on those findings.
03:36What is clear, however, is that if it's confirmed to be North Korea's doing, we must respond immediately.
03:40Resuming loudspeaker broadcasts or sending leaflets toward North Korea could be viable options.
03:44Perhaps a show of force could be the answer.
03:46And there's one more thing we need to keep an eye on.
03:48North Korea's reaction.
03:49That's because even when our military's final investigation results are released,
03:52there's no guarantee North Korea will simply accept them.
03:54Looking at past precedents, there have been cases under such circumstances
03:57where North Korea refused to acknowledge the announcements made by our government and military.
04:00A prime example is the 2015 wooden box mine incident.
04:03At the time, based on on-site investigations and explosive debris,
04:06our military announced that North Korean troops had crossed the military demarcation line
04:08and planted landmines near our military search route.
04:10However, North Korea denied our announcement that it was their doing,
04:13refuting it by claiming the South had fabricated the incident to target North Korea.
04:17Although North Korea was later brought to express regret over the landmine explosion
04:20during inter-Korean high-level talks,
04:21they did not directly admit responsibility for planting the mine.
04:24We will have to wait and see if a similar situation repeats itself this time.
04:27Even if our military ultimately concludes that the landmines were laid by North Korean forces,
04:31North Korea might not acknowledge it and could dispute the findings of our investigation itself.
04:34Conversely, the possibility that they will remain silent without offering any official response
04:37cannot be ruled out either.
04:38As North Korea's final judgment has not been made clear so far,
04:41it is difficult to prejudge any specific response.
04:43Particularly in this incident, North Korea could raise different claims
04:45not only regarding the origin of the landmines themselves,
04:47but also about the circumstances under which they were planted.
04:49Our military is currently working to confirm the final details of when
04:52and under what circumstances the landmines were planted.
04:54Depending on whether North Korea completely denies the existence of the landmines,
04:57or even if they admit to planting them,
04:59whether they claim it was not aimed at our military,
05:01the core of the ensuing dispute could also change.
05:03That is why, once the final investigation results are released,
05:05we need to not only look at our government's announcement,
05:07but also closely watch how North Korea responds.
05:10As in the past, they might deny responsibility, refute our announcement,
05:12or simply choose not to offer any particular stamp.
05:15Whether this incident will lead to renewed tensions between the North and the South
05:17is something we will have to observe along with these follow-up reactions.
05:20Above all, what we need to pay attention to in this incident
05:22is whether this kind of situation occurred only in the 25th Division's area of responsibility.
05:25From what has been disclosed so far, that doesn't seem to be the case.
05:28In the past, our military also confirmed circumstances
05:31where North Korean soldiers crossed south of the military demarcation line
05:34in the Gosong area of Gangwon province to carry out operations,
05:37or were suspected of laying landmines south of the MDL.
05:39In particular, Gosong is an area where North Korean troops have repeatedly crossed south
05:43while conducting work due to the shape of the MDL.
05:45In fact, in 2025, there were several confirmed cases of North Korean troops violating the MDL,
05:49including in the Gosong area, and the military explained at the time
05:52that signs of mine laying were also detected in some regions.
05:54This is important, because it makes it difficult to view this incident
05:57as merely an isolated event that occurred in a specific location.
06:00If signs of North Korean troops laying mines are being confirmed across multiple border areas,
06:04we must also consider the possibility that similar dangers
06:06could be discovered in other regions going forward.
06:08In particular, the DMZ is not an area where soldiers can move around freely like typical regions,
06:12and it is also difficult to pinpoint exactly where mines have been laid.
06:15There is also a possibility that additional mines could be found around the areas
06:17that have already been confirmed, and more importantly,
06:19North Korean operations in the DMZ are still ongoing.
06:22As activities like land clearing or mine storage continue,
06:25situations could arise where mines come closer to the MDL and cross over into our side again.
06:28In fact, in the Gosong area, North Korean incursions across the MDL
06:31have been repeatedly confirmed in the past.
06:33Therefore, following this incident, we need to monitor not only the Western Front,
06:35but also what kind of activities are taking place in other border regions like the Eastern Front,
06:39but there is another part here that demands our attention.
06:41This incident cannot be viewed solely as a landmine issue.
06:43Right now, North Korean military operations and approaches to the MDL continue around the DMZ,
06:47since August of this year, repeated instances of North Korean troops crossing the MDL
06:51have been confirmed primarily along the Eastern Front.
06:53According to our military, about 20 instances of North Korean troops crossing the MDL
06:56were confirmed over the past month,
06:58and in most cases, they reportedly retreated after our military issued warning broadcasts
07:01and fired warning shots.
07:02But there is one critical issue here.
07:04It is the problem of accurately identifying the exact MDL on the ground.
07:07Military authorities view the potential difference in how the South and the North
07:10perceive the MDL baseline as a latent risk factor for military conflict,
07:13and are coordinating the matter with the UN command.
07:14In fact, with the recent repeated instances of North Korean troops crossing the line,
07:18our military and the UN command reportedly discuss the issue of the MDL baseline as well.
07:22Under these circumstances, as North Korean troops approach close to the MDL for their work,
07:26actual border crossings could occur, leading to a repeated cycle where our military identifies
07:29this and responds with warning shots.
07:31Most of the cases confirmed so far involve North Korean troops retreating after warnings.
07:35But if this situation keeps repeating in the same area, tensions on the ground are bound to rise,
07:39especially since an incident in which soldiers were actually harmed,
07:41like this landmine explosion has occurred, the issue of managing the area around the MDL
07:45has become even more critical.
07:46Moving forward, it won't just be about identifying mined areas.
07:49We'll also need to monitor what kind of work North Korean forces are doing,
07:51in which areas, how close they're approaching the MDL,
07:53and whether the North and South share the same perception of the military demarcation line's position.
07:57While North Korea's activities near the MDL can't all be defined as intentional provocations,
08:01we must continue to watch closely how repeated border crossings and fieldwork
08:03might lead to a clash under certain circumstances.
08:05With this incident, it has become difficult to view the risks that could arise in the DMZ
08:10as just a matter of landmines.
