‘Explosion during DMZ operation’: 3 South Korean officers injured near heavily fortified border

Seoul: An explosion injured three South Korean military officers on Monday inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, official sources said.

South Korea's Defence Ministry stated that the blast occurred during an unspecified operation near the military demarcation line in the western sector of the border buffer zone, commonly referred to as the DMZ.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, according to the ministry.

South Korean officials did not comment on whether the blast might have been caused by a landmine laid by North Korea, which has installed additional mines, anti-tank obstacles, and other front-line defences in recent months amid a sharp deterioration in relations between the war-divided neighbours. Seoul's Defence Ministry did not immediately respond when asked by The Associated Press whether the incident prompted heightened border security measures.

Two of the officers were evacuated by helicopter from the scene, whilst the third was moved by land before being airlifted, the ministry added. The injured personnel are receiving medical treatment at a military hospital near the capital, Seoul.

The DMZ, measuring 248 kilometres (155 miles) in length and 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) in width, stands as one of the most heavily armed borders globally. An estimated 2 million landmines are scattered within and surrounding the border, which is further reinforced with barbed wire fences, tank traps, and armed military forces on both sides. The buffer zone remains a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.

Border tensions escalate

North Korea has intensified regional friction through a sequence of military demonstrations this month, conducting short-range ballistic missile tests on Sunday, live-fire missile and artillery drills, and commissioning a new naval vessel, as leader Kim Jong Un showcases his expanding nuclear capabilities despite US appeals to resume diplomatic talks.

Concerns have mounted in South Korea regarding heightened activity by North Korean troops near the military demarcation line as Pyongyang reinforces its border positions during prolonged bilateral friction. The South Korean military has not officially corroborated news reports alleging that North Korean troops crossed the demarcation line more than 20 times during front-line operations in August alone.

South Korean forces discharged warning shots to turn back approximately 10 North Korean soldiers who crossed the demarcation line in the eastern sector of the DMZ in April 2025. The North Korean troops withdrew following broadcast audio warnings and warning shots, with no direct armed clashes occurring. In June 2024, North Korean personnel crossed the border three times, leading South Korean forces to fire warning shots.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has in recent years suspended virtually all diplomatic engagement and cooperative initiatives with South Korea, declaring Seoul as his primary adversary amidst a broader stalemate in nuclear negotiations with Washington.

North Korean landmines have occasionally drifted down flooded rivers into South Korea in past years, causing civilian casualties. In August 2015, landmine detonations severely injured two South Korean soldiers, triggering a surge in cross-border military tensions.

AP