Seoul ‘fabricated” landmine blast, North Korea tells UN in letter
North Korea has sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council accusing South Korea of fabricating a landmine explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers in September.
In a letter to the UN Security Council on Sunday, North Korea's permanent representative accused Seoul of 'groundlessly shifting the blame' for the September 21 explosion that injured three soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone. Pyongyang warned that violations of its sovereignty could trigger self-defense measures.
The incident has intensified tensions between the two Koreas, with South Korea blaming North Korean landmines for the blast. North Korea has firmly rejected these accusations, calling them a 'farce to evade responsibility for the ever-escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula'.
Border fortification claims
Pyongyang defended its ongoing border fortification efforts as 'a legitimate and just exercise of its sovereignty' in accordance with the UN Charter. The letter criticized South Korea for violating the charter by firing warning shots at North Korean soldiers in the DMZ.
The landmine incident was 'a sinister obstructive move to brand as a 'military invasion''
International response
Last week, South Korea's Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the UNSC president blaming North Korea for the blast and calling it a 'clear violation of the armistice agreement'. The US-led UN Command also confirmed that mine placement by North Korea violated the 1953 Armistice Agreement.
In an attempt to reduce tensions, South Korea's Defense Ministry recently proposed military talks with Pyongyang to 'mutually confirm the precise location' of their border and prevent accidental clashes. North Korean personnel have been building tactical roads and fences near the Military Demarcation Line in recent years.
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