North Korea has sent a letter to the chair of the United Nations Security Council, claiming that the recent mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was a 'staged act' by South Korea. This response follows South Korea's assertion that the incident constituted a violation of the armistice agreement and its demand for an apology from the North.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on October 26, the North's permanent representative to the UN sent a letter to the Security Council chair on October 25, addressing the mine explosion that occurred on September 21.
In the letter, North Korea alleged that South Korea manipulated the mine explosion incident. It claimed that South Korea was attempting to disrupt its so-called 'southern border fortification' efforts near the military demarcation line (MDL) by portraying them as military incursions. The North denied responsibility for the incident, asserting that it was a ploy by South Korea to evade accountability for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea also emphasized the legitimacy of its fortification efforts along the MDL, describing them as self-defense measures to protect its territory from external threats, consistent with its sovereign rights under the UN Charter and international law.
The North criticized South Korea's warning shots fired in response to alleged incursions by North Korean forces, arguing that such actions threaten the lives and safety of soldiers involved in the fortification work. It claimed that these warning shots violate Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force and threats.
Additionally, North Korea issued a military warning to South Korea, stating that it reserves the right to exercise self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter if South Korea commits any direct provocations that infringe upon its territory by even 1 millimeter or endanger the safety and lives of its personnel. The North warned that South Korea would bear responsibility for any consequences arising from violations of its sovereignty and territory.
This letter is seen as a counter-response to a previous communication from the South Korean government to the Security Council chair, in which it raised concerns about the DMZ mine explosion and heightened tensions along the MDL.
On October 22, South Korea's Ambassador to the UN, Choi Ji-hoon, sent a two-page letter to the Greek ambassador, who holds the Security Council presidency. The South Korean government stated that the mine explosion on September 21 was caused by a mine planted by North Korean forces, clearly constituting a violation of the armistice agreement. The explosion injured three South Korean soldiers, and both the South Korean military and the UN Command concluded that North Korean forces had intentionally planted mines south of the military demarcation line.
The South Korean government has demanded an apology from North Korea and called for dialogue aimed at reducing military tensions and restoring trust.
The letter from South Korea was circulated to the 15 member states of the Security Council after receiving approval from the chair. North Korea also submitted a separate letter, escalating the blame game over the DMZ mine explosion into the realm of UN diplomacy.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.