Three Injured in Suspected DMZ Landmine Blast

Three South Korean service members were injured Monday in an unidentified explosion during an operation south of the Military Demarcation Line in the western DMZ, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and local reports. At least one soldier was seriously hurt, and the injured personnel were evacuated for treatment at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital. Authorities suspect a landmine but have not determined whether it was a remnant of the 1950–53 Korean War or a more recently planted device. The DMZ is one of the world’s most heavily mined areas, with South Korean military estimates indicating roughly 800,000 mines in the region. South Korean authorities are investigating the blast, with no indication that it resulted from direct cross-border fire or a military confrontation.