The UNC said it conducted a joint on-site investigation with the South Korean military into the Sept. 21 mine explosions in the western sector of the DMZ.
During the investigation, the team found an operable North Korean antipersonnel mine on the South Korean side of the MDL, the command said.
"Based on the findings of the investigation, UNC determined that an Armistice Agreement violation occurred," the command said in a statement, adding that it was addressing the violation through established armistice mechanisms.
The UNC did not specify what measures it would take in response.
It said it would remain committed to maintaining and enforcing the 1953 Armistice Agreement, preserving stability on the Korean Peninsula and preventing further escalation.
The statement came a day after South Korean investigators found a North Korean resin-bodied antipersonnel mine near the site of the explosions during the third day of a joint field investigation with the UNC.
It was assessed to be different from an unexploded mine-like object that soldiers reported seeing immediately after the Sept. 21 blasts.
Three South Korean officers were injured in two explosions on Sept. 21 while troops from the Army's 25th Infantry Division were clearing an access route inside the western DMZ ahead of a planned UNC inspection.
The operation was launched after South Korean surveillance detected terrain changes near the MDL and suspected North Korean mine-laying activity in the area.
Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul went further during a National Assembly defense committee meeting Tuesday, saying the newly discovered mine appeared to have been planted rather than washed into the area and describing the case as a clear violation of the armistice.
The UNC's statement marks its first formal determination that an armistice violation occurred in connection with the Sept. 21 incident, adding weight to Seoul's assessment as the joint investigation continues.
AJP Takeaways
- UNC said the recent DMZ mine incident violated the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement.
- Investigators found an operable North Korean antipersonnel mine south of the Military Demarcation Line.
- The UNC said it is addressing the violation through established armistice mechanisms.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
