Three South Korean officers were injured in an explosion during an operation south of the Military Demarcation Line inside the DMZ, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Two were airlifted and a third was later flown out after an initial plan for road transport. The cause of the blast remains unknown. The DMZ is heavily mined — military data cited by Yonhap estimate roughly 800,000 landmines in the area — and tensions have risen since 2024 amid new border fortifications.
Three South Korean Officers Injured by Explosion Inside the DMZ, Military Says
National flags of South Korea (R) and North Korea (L) are seen within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas, from Paju on September 12, 2026 (Lillian SUWANRUMPHA)
Three South Korean military officers were wounded by an explosion while conducting an operation south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Monday.
Two of the injured were evacuated by helicopter and a third was initially due to be moved by road before being airlifted, the JCS said. Officials have not yet released details about the severity of their injuries.
It was not immediately possible to determine whether the blast was caused by a North Korean mine, a South Korean mine, or another type of explosive device. In a statement the JCS said the officers "were injured by an explosion of unknown cause while conducting an operation at a location south of the MDL."
Why the DMZ Is Dangerous
The DMZ is a 248-kilometre (154-mile) long and roughly four-kilometre (2.5-mile) wide buffer that has divided the Korean Peninsula since the 1953 armistice. Although officially demilitarised, its northern and southern edges are among the world's most heavily fortified and mined frontiers.
Military data cited by Yonhap estimate that around 800,000 landmines remain buried around the DMZ, many dating to the Korean War, with additional mine-laying reported in recent years. Since 2024, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described South Korea as his country's "principal enemy," Pyongyang has been reported to have laid mines and erected anti-tank barriers along the border to more permanently seal the frontier.
Context And Recent History
Seoul's military has previously said North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in accidental mine explosions during fortification work. Landmine incidents have in the past heightened tensions between the two Koreas — notably in 2015, when two South Korean soldiers were seriously wounded by a landmine on the southern side of the DMZ, one of whom later lost both legs. South Korea concluded that North Korean troops had crossed the MDL to plant the mines in that case, an allegation Pyongyang denied.
The latest episode comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has repeatedly called for unconditional dialogue with North Korea, overtures that Pyongyang has not publicly reciprocated.
Note: The military has not confirmed the cause of the explosion or the current condition of the injured officers.
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