Three South Korean military officers were wounded Monday in an explosion inside the western sector of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul reported.
The cause of the blast remains undetermined, the Ministry of National Defense said. Two of the officers were evacuated by helicopter, while the third was transported by ground vehicle before being airlifted to a military hospital near Seoul for treatment.
Explosions caused by legacy landmines and unexploded ordnance are a persistent hazard within the DMZ. The 248-kilometer (154-mile) long, 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) wide buffer zone is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world, containing an estimated two million mines alongside barbed-wire fences, tank traps, and combat troops on both sides. The zone dates back to the 1950–53 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.
The incident comes amid heightened concerns in the South regarding increased North Korean military activity along the Military Demarcation Line, as Pyongyang continues to reinforce its border defenses during a period of prolonged tension.