North Korea denies DMZ blast responsibility in UN letter

North Korea has denied responsibility for a September landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone, calling the incident a fabricated plot staged by South Korea in a formal letter sent to the United Nations Security Council.

North Korea Rejects South Korean DMZ Blast Findings

The Permanent Representative of North Korea to the United Nations transmitted the letter to the Security Council president, according to reporting by ainews1.co.kr. The correspondence rejects the findings of a South Korean military investigation into the September 21 blast inside the DMZ. South Korea had previously notified the Security Council president via its UN mission on October 22, identifying the incident as a violation of the Korean Armistice Agreement caused by North Korean mine-laying operations.

North Korea asserted in the letter that ongoing landmine installation and antitank barrier construction along the Military Demarcation Line constitute legitimate sovereign acts. Pyongyang stated that these engineering efforts serve as defensive measures to protect national territory from external threats under the United Nations Charter.

Warnings on Self-Defense and Cross-Border Firing

The letter criticizes South Korean warning shots fired in response to North Korean incursions across the demarcation line, labeling those military actions as direct provocations against the safety of its personnel. Pyongyang cited Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter to accuse South Korea of violating international law.

North Korea warned that any direct provocation resulting in territorial violations or risks to personnel safety would trigger its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The letter states that South Korea will bear full responsibility for all consequences arising from any infringement upon North Korean sovereignty.

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