Accra:New York North Korea has informed the United Nations Security Council that it considers the recent mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to be a "fabrication" orchestrated by South Korea. This statement was reported by state media on Monday.
According to Anadolu Agency – English, North Korea's permanent representative to the UN sent a letter to the Security Council president on Sunday, as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The letter was sent amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula following the wounding of three South Korean soldiers in a mine explosion on September 21, for which Seoul has blamed Pyongyang.
The incident has led South Korea to call for the resumption of military talks, an offer North Korea has not yet responded to. Pyongyang's letter came after South Korea had also communicated with the Security Council, demanding an apology from the North for the incident. The Korea Herald reported this exchange of communications, which coincided with joint air drills conducted by South Korea and the United States. Meanwhile, Yonhap News reported that North Korean troops were seen conducting drills with artillery in the coastal border areas of Hwanghae province.
North Korea's letter described the mine explosion as a "sinister obstructive move" by South Korea, aimed at portraying North Korea's border fortifications as a military invasion. It accused Seoul of attempting to delay fortification work and evade responsibility for escalating tensions on the peninsula. The letter asserted that North Korea's border fortification was a "legitimate and just exercise of its sovereignty" in accordance with the UN Charter and international law, characterizing it as a defensive measure against external threats.
The letter also warned that if South Korea, referred to as the Republic of Korea (RoK), violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of North Korea, known officially as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), it will be held accountable for all ensuing consequences.
In related developments, South Korea and the US have begun joint air drills focused on enhancing wartime joint operations. The exercise, named Freedom Flag, is being conducted at Kunsan Air Base, southwest of Seoul. The Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty in the 1950s, has left the two Koreas technically still at war, with approximately 39,000 US military personnel stationed in South Korea under a mutual defense pact.