UN letter-NK mine blast

NEW YORK/SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- The United Nations has released a letter that South Korea sent to the president of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to decry land mine blasts in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in September and urge North Korea to apologize for the incident that left three South Korean soldiers injured.

South Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Cha Ji-hoon sent the letter to the president on Oct. 22, also defending Seoul's border operations inside the DMZ separating the two Koreas, including warning shots, as "legitimate" and "defensive" measures to prevent North Korean troops from crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).

Cha said the letter was intended to bring the UNSC's attention to the Sept. 21 explosions, but he stopped short of demanding that the council convene a meeting over the incident or release a press statement, or that its president issue a statement. Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the blast.

"The Government of the Republic of Korea strongly urges the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to immediately cease such escalatory actions, offer an apology and take responsible measures, including the removal of mines laid in violation of the Armistice Agreement and steps to prevent any recurrence," Cha said in the letter, referring to the two Koreas by their official names.

"At the same time, we also call on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to engage in dialogue to prevent further escalation of tensions and restore trust on the Korean Peninsula."

The ambassador made clear that the South Korean military announced its investigation results based on a joint investigation with the U.N. Command, which he said confirmed that the explosions were caused by anti-personnel mines laid by North Korea.

"The investigation also ruled out accidental displacement as the likely cause and concluded that the mine had been deliberately planted by Democratic People's Republic of Korea forces south of the MDL," he said.

He also justified South Korea's warning broadcasts and warning shots along the MDL, casting them as "legitimate and defensive" steps to stop North Korean troops from crossing the MDL, and ensure their withdrawal should they cross it.

Pyongyang has criticized Seoul's warning shots along the MDL as "provocative" acts and disrupting its border fortification work.

Observers said Seoul might have refrained from requesting a statement from the UNSC regarding the blast given that Russia and China, the permanent members of the council with traditional ties to North Korea, are likely to oppose it.

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