North Korea planted exploded land mine to target South, says Seoul

SEOUL, Aug. 10 (UPI) — South Korean officials said on Monday North Korean intruders planted three land mines on the South Korea side of the demilitarized zone – including one that exploded last Tuesday injuring two soldiers.

The announcement North Koreans trespassed into an off-limits zone sent shock waves across Seoul – the agents would have come quite close to a South Korean guard post undetected, The New York Times reported.

The impact of the explosion resulted in serious injuries for two soldiers, identified by their surnames Kim and Ha, who were on routine patrol inside the DMZ. Yonhap reported Ha lost both legs and Kim lost his right ankle when he stepped on the land mine while attempting to rescue his colleague.

Last week in the immediate aftermath of the explosion a South Korean military spokesman had said the land mines were not of North Korean origin and heavy rains may have loosened the explosives.

But investigations indicated North Korean soldiers had planted the mines to hit South Korean troops, Maj. Gen. Koo Hong-mo said during a press briefing on Monday. The land mines used wooden boxes and were of North Korean origin and were probably planted between July 22 and Tuesday, he said.

“This is a clear provocation by the North Korean military. We vow a severe retaliation,” said Kim Min-seok, a spokesman for Seoul’s military.

Seoul said the explosions were the first of their kind in nearly 50 years. The two Koreas planted hundreds of thousands of mines to repel another conflict after the 1950-53 Korean War.

The explosion on Tuesday and the military’s findings indicate Seoul and Pyongyang are unlikely to witness a thawing of relations ahead of the 70th anniversary of liberation on Aug. 15.

In response to the attacks Seoul’s Defense Ministry said they would resume anti-Pyongyang broadcasts across the border for the first time in over a decade.

Pyongyang has threatened to retaliate if Seoul resumes the broadcasts.