N. Korea denies responsibility for DMZ mine blast, warns S. Korea of retaliation

The Korea Times - Sep 30, 2026

North Korea on Wednesday denied South Korea's announcement that a North Korean mine likely caused a recent blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), accusing Seoul of fabricating the findings and warning of "immediate and merciless" retaliation if its troops are fired upon. Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued the warning in a statement after the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced Monday that North Korean land mines were "highly likely" to have caused the explosion on Sept. 21 that left three South Korean soldiers injured. "What should not be overlooked is the fact that the armed gangsters of the ROK are now cooking up the groundless results and 'justifying their conduct' for political and military provocation against the DPRK, openly talking about 'reasonable and corresponding enforcement of measures,'" Kim said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, while ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republi

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