Seoul has brought its demand that North Korea accept responsibility and apologize for Sept. 21 Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) mine blasts to the U.N. Security Council after three South Korean soldiers were injured.
South Korea’s U.N. mission said the letter went to the council president Thursday, Oct. 22. The Korea Herald reported that Cha Ji-hoon, South Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, sent a roughly two-page note to Greece’s ambassador. Greece currently holds the council’s rotating presidency and approved circulation to members, the newspaper reported; distribution was expected soon.
The Herald said the letter sets out Seoul’s position that North Korea violated the armistice and calls for an apology and appropriate action. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said a joint investigation with the United Nations Command attributed both explosions to North Korean mines. Yonhap News Agency reported that two of the three injured soldiers were critically hurt. Pyongyang has denied responsibility.
The move follows Seoul’s earlier plan to bring the mine incident before the Security Council. The Korea Herald reported that South Korea had also considered seeking a council resolution or a Security Council presidential statement.
Seoul used a similar diplomatic channel after North Korea’s 2015 wooden-box mine attack, sending a letter two weeks later, the Korea Herald reported. The Associated Press reported that the 2015 blast injured two South Korean soldiers and that Seoul’s subsequent loudspeaker broadcasts brought the two Koreas close to armed conflict. Separately, Kim Yo-jong said North Korea’s propaganda loudspeakers would operate along the full border by the end of October.
The Korea Herald said the current letter is expected to enter official Security Council records and appear on the U.N. website. Its circulation to council members was expected soon, though no date was specified. Posting the letter would not automatically produce a resolution or another binding council measure.
