SEOUL, October 26 (Aalimi Nation) – North Korea has told the United Nations Security Council that a September 21 land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone was "fabricated" by South Korea, in a letter that also warns Pyongyang could exercise its right to self-defence. South Korea attributes the blast to a mine planted by North Korean troops.
The letter was sent by North Korea's permanent representative to the United Nations on Sunday, and North Korean state media reported it on Monday. The blast injured three South Korean soldiers.
What North Korea says
According to the state media account, the letter describes the explosion as a "sinister" attempt to "impede" North Korea's border fortification work. It calls that work a "legitimate and just exercise of its sovereignty" and a self-defensive measure consistent with the UN Charter.
The letter also accuses South Korean forces of firing warning shots at North Korean personnel working on the project, which it says violates Article 2(4) of the Charter, the provision that restricts the use of force. It adds that North Korea would "exercise the right to self-defense" under Article 51 if Seoul "invades the territory of our country even a millimeter" or directly harms its personnel.
South Korea's account
The North's letter followed one from Seoul. South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Cha Ji-hoon, sent a letter of about two pages on Thursday to his Greek counterpart, whose country holds the Council's rotating presidency.
That letter, according to South Korean officials, set out the findings of an investigation, which concluded that a mine laid by North Korean troops caused the blast and breached the 1953 Armistice Agreement. Seoul asked Pyongyang to apologise and take responsibility, and urged it to engage in dialogue to prevent escalation and restore trust.
South Korea says its forces fire warning shots to turn back North Korean soldiers who cross the Military Demarcation Line, the border between the two Koreas. In recent years, North Korean personnel have been seen building tactical roads and fences close to the line.
Background and tensions
The Armistice Agreement halted fighting in the 1950–53 Korean War but did not formally end it. The line that divides the peninsula is lined with fortifications, and any incident there carries the risk of escalation.
Tensions along the border have risen in recent weeks. North Korea has threatened to resume loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at the South. Photographs taken from South Korean vantage points over the weekend showed North Korean soldiers and artillery near a border fence under construction in North Hwanghae Province.
The US-led United Nations Command has said the placement of the mines violated the Armistice Agreement.
The Security Council has not announced any meeting on the matter, and neither side's account of the blast has been independently verified. It is unclear whether the Council will take up the exchange of letters. Both governments have now placed their versions on the Council's record, and the next steps are likely to depend on whether either side escalates activity near the border or accepts contacts to reduce the risk of accidental clashes.
