South Korean military, UN Command fall short of DMZ blast site in first joint probe

South Korea's military and the United Nations Command launched an on-site inspection of the area where a suspected mine explosion occurred in the western-front Demilitarized Zone, but were unable to reach the actual blast site. Citing the risk of uncharted mines and personnel fatigue, they ended Sunday's operation and decided to conduct a follow-up inspection.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday that South Korean forces and UNC "jointly reached the vicinity of the presumed explosion site inside the DMZ to conduct an on-site investigation."

Starting at around 9 a.m. Sunday, military and UNC personnel used mine detectors to carefully sweep the access route and worked to widen the existing path. The operation continued until sunset.

They were nonetheless unable to reach the point where the explosion occurred. The JCS said the inspection area "is a high-risk uncharted minefield within the DMZ, and the personnel involved in the operation were severely fatigued," adding that safety was the top priority in deciding to end Sunday's operation and reschedule it for a later date.

About 40 people were deployed to the scene, including South Korean operational troops, UNC Military Armistice Commission personnel and investigators. Some of the officers who had helped clear a search path during the Monday incident also re-entered the area.

On Saturday, more than 20 personnel had already been sent in to check the safety of the access route and inspect surveillance and communications conditions in preparation for the full-scale inspection. The military has maintained that securing the safety of the investigation team must come first, given that the blast site is close to the MDL and no existing search path leads to it.

Because the team did not reach the blast site Sunday, mine fragments and other debris that may remain at the scene have yet to be recovered. Securing such debris is expected to be a key clue in determining what type of explosive detonated.

The JCS said South Korean forces and UNC "plan to thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident through additional on-site inspections" and pledged to "explain confirmed facts to the public in an objective and transparent manner."

The incident occurred Monday morning near the MDL in an area under the jurisdiction of the Army's 25th Division in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Two suspected mine explosions left two soldiers, including a search battalion commander, seriously wounded and one with minor injuries. At the time, the military had been clearing a search path to support a UNC on-site inspection.

The timing of the inspection has also sparked a political dispute. The People Power Party demanded an explanation for why an investigation was not conducted immediately after the accident, while the Democratic Party of Korea emphasized the military's explanation that preparations were necessary to ensure soldier safety in an uncharted minefield.