North Korea denies South's claim, calls DMZ blast a 'farce'

The DMZ is a fortified buffer zone between the two countries that has been in place since 1953Image: Soeren Stache/dpa/picture allianceAdvertisementNorth Korea on Wednesday denied a South Korean claim that blamed Pyongyang for a mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that left three South Korean soldiers injured.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, accused Seoul of coming up with false evidence after blaming Pyongyang for last week's explosion.

"It is ​too low and dirty as befitting the tribes of South Korea," Kim said in a statement carried by state media KCNA.

"Such a farce is by no means ​new."

After the incident occured, South Korean authorities launched an investigation.

South Korea's Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said on Tuesday that North Korean mines caused the blast and that it would take "corresponding" action. He ​also ‌said North Korea likely planted mines to fortify the border.

He said the South Korean military "has a range of necessary measures at our disposal, and we will implement them in stages."

The South Korean military has also demanded an apology from North Korea for the explosion.

"North Korea must immediately cease activities that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula, .... and we strongly urge an apology and responsible measures," an official from Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters.

The South Korean joint chiefs said South Korean and UN investigators found another North Korean mine Tuesday during a follow-up inspection.

The UN Command said the investigation has "identified an active Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea's) anti-personnel mine on the ROK side of the Military Demarcation Line."

The UNC concluded thatNorth Korea violated the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.

The UNC is a US-led multinational military force that oversees the Korean armistice agreement and administers the southern side of the DMZ.

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