Three South Korean officers wounded in DMZ explosion
The cause of the blast in the western Demilitarised Zone remains unclear, with local reports suggesting a possible landmine.
Three South Korean military officers have been wounded in an explosion in the western sector of the Demilitarised Zone separating North and South Korea.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the incident on Monday, while the Defence Ministry said the cause of the blast had not been established. Local media reports suggested it may have involved a landmine, but no official finding has confirmed that account.
Two officers were evacuated by helicopter. The third was transported by land before being airlifted, and all three were taken to a military hospital near Seoul. Their specific injuries and current conditions were not provided.
Explosions from mines and other legacy devices remain a recurring hazard in and around the DMZ, a 248-kilometre-long, heavily fortified buffer created by the 1950–53 Korean War armistice. The armistice ended active fighting but no peace treaty was signed.
The incident comes amid concerns in South Korea about increased activity by North Korean soldiers near the military demarcation line as North Korea strengthens its border defences. No North Korean involvement in the explosion has been established.
