South Korea and UN Command launch joint investigation into DMZ landmine blast

South Korea’s military and the United Nations Command launched a joint investigation on Sunday into a landmine explosion inside the Demilitarised Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers earlier this month.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said a team of about 40 personnel — including South Korean troops, the UN Command’s Military Armistice Commission secretary and investigative officials — reached the area near the suspected blast site in the western sector of the DMZ, six days after the explosion on September 21.

Working with mine detectors from around 9am until sunset, the team swept and widened access routes. But the investigation was halted for the day because the site sits in an unconfirmed minefield and personnel were badly fatigued. Further on-site work is planned.

The Joint Chiefs said they would “thoroughly determine the cause of the accident” and disclose confirmed facts “objectively and transparently”, as opposition lawmakers demand answers amid suspicions the device may have come from North Korea.

The three soldiers were injured while clearing a patrol route; President Lee Jae Myung said the explosion was caused by a landmine. Mine blasts are a recurring hazard in the DMZ, and North Korean forces have resumed border fortification work — including mine-laying — since March, according to South Korean media.

Sources

• Reuters: “South Korean military, UN command launch investigation into DMZ explosion” (Sept 27, 2026)
• SBS News: “Military and UNC Investigate DMZ Blast Site, Reach Area Near Suspected Explosion” (Sept 27, 2026)
• Aju Press: “Military and UN Command Conduct Investigation Near DMZ Mine Explosion Site” (Sept 27, 2026)
• Seoul Economic Daily: “Military, U.N. Command Reach Area Near Suspected DMZ Mine Blast Site” (Sept 27, 2026)