South Korea’s ambassador said a joint investigation with the U.N. Command linked a September 21 blast that injured three soldiers to a mine planted by North Korean forces. Pyongyang rejected the accusation.
Cha Ji-hoon spoke on October 8 at a committee meeting of the U.N. General Assembly’s 81st session in New York. He said a joint investigation by South Korean forces and the U.N. Command, including forensic analysis, found that the explosion occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line.
Seoul called the incident a violation of the Armistice Agreement and urged Pyongyang to apologize and take responsible measures. Three South Korean soldiers were injured in the September 21 blast. South Korean military officials and the U.N. Command had previously publicized findings from their joint investigation.
North Korea’s representative rejected the accusation at the meeting. He called it an attempt to shift blame onto Pyongyang and portray North Korea’s border fortifications as a military incursion.
The two sides also restated opposing positions on North Korea’s nuclear program. Cha called on Pyongyang to comply with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and U.N. Security Council resolutions. The North Korean representative said the country’s nuclear arsenal was necessary to defend its sovereignty against what he described as a long-running U.S. nuclear threat.