Seoul:South Korea has accused North Korea of "deliberately planting" two mines inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that exploded last month, injuring three South Korean soldiers. The incident has prompted South Korea to demand an apology from Pyongyang.

According to Anadolu Agency, North Korea has denied any involvement in the September 21 incident. Pyongyang criticized Seoul, dismissing the accusations as 'cheap tricks' and urged South Korea to cease efforts to 'tarnish the image' of North Korea.

Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae-won, vice chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), called for a sincere apology from North Korea to the South Korean soldiers injured in the mine blast. He also urged North Korea to remove the mines, which he claims violate the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953 without a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula divided and technically at war.

The JCS reported that a joint operation with the UN Command successfully removed additional mines planted near the explosion site. They stated that the mines contained TNT and thermosetting resin components consistent with North Korean mines, and fragments recovered from the injured soldiers matched North Korean plastic antipersonnel mines found previously.

The mines were discovered approximately 10 meters south of the Military Demarcation Line, suggesting intentional placement rather than accidental movement into the area, as reported by Yonhap News.