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South demands North’s apology, punishment over mines blast

August 10, 2015
A South Korean soldier re-enacts planting of a wooden-box mine on the south side of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) fence near the city of Paju, on Aug. 9, 2015, in this photo released on Aug. 10, by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. North Korea is believed to have masterminded the Aug. 4 incident in which the explosion of wooden-box mines severed the legs of two South Korean staff sergeants on a regular scouting mission, the Defense Ministry said Aug. 10. (Yonhap)

A South Korean soldier re-enacts planting of a wooden-box mine on the south side of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) fence near the city of Paju, on Aug. 9, 2015, in this photo released on Aug. 10, by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. North Korea is believed to have masterminded the Aug. 4 incident in which the explosion of wooden-box mines severed the legs of two South Korean staff sergeants on a regular scouting mission, the Defense Ministry said Aug. 10. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) — South Korea urged North Korea Tuesday to offer an apology over the deadly detonation of its land mines as Seoul’s defense chief vowed to seize initiative along the heavily fortified border.

South Korea accused North Korea of intentionally burying three wooden-box land mines on the southern side of the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas.

Two South Korean staff sergeants were severely injured during a patrol mission on Aug. 4 when the land mines exploded.

Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook called the incident a clear provocation and a violation of the inter-Korean nonaggression pact.

“We urge North Korea to offer an apology over the provocation and punish those responsible for it,” Min said.

South and North Korea signed a non-aggression pact in 1991. North Korea has since carried out a series of provocations against South Korea, including two deadly attacks in 2010.

Defense Minister Han Min-koo said in a meeting with ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers that South Korea’s military will carry out an operation to seize initiative in the demilitarized zone, though he did not elaborate.

On Monday, South Korea resumed a propaganda loudspeaker campaign along the tensely guarded border in retaliation for the detonation of the North Korean mines.

The Koreas halted propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along their tense border in 2004.

But South Korea set up facilities for loudspeaker broadcasts in 2010 following the North’s deadly torpedoing of a South Korean warship.

North Korea has bristled at South Korea’s propaganda campaign that has long been waged by conservative activists and North Korean defectors.

For years, North Korean defectors in the South and conservative activists have flown leaflets to the North via balloons to help encourage North Koreans to eventually rise up against the Pyongyang regime.

In October, the two Koreas exchanged machine gun fire across the border after the North apparently tried to shoot down balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas still technically at war.

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