North Korea Claims DMZ Mine Blast Was a 'Staged Provocation', Hints at Stronger Military Response

North Korean ruling Workers' Party General Affairs Department Director Kim Yo-jong claimed that the DMZ (demilitarized zone along the Military Demarcation Line) mine explosion was a "clearly staged incident," even raising the possibility of a stronger military response, while the United Nations Command judged the incident a violation of the armistice agreement (the commitments both Koreas upheld to maintain the ceasefire), pushing inter-Korean tensions even higher.

In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency on September 30, Kim Yo-jong defined the incident as a "clearly staged provocation" and dismissed the South Korean military's announcement as "Seoul's self-made clown show," claiming such provocations were frequent. She went on to say that the North Korean military "has decided to take measures to bolster its means of tactical counterattack."

Brigadier General Kang Hyun-woo, Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced at the Defense Ministry on September 30 that the explosion was caused by a North Korean landmine, urging North Korea to immediately halt tension-raising activities such as "fortifying the border," to apologize, and to take responsible measures.