S. Korea Reviews Diplomatic Response to DMZ Mine Blasts, Reaffirms U.S. Alignment on North Korea

Cho's comments followed the Joint Chiefs of Staff conclusion Monday that North Korean land mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line caused injuries to three South Korean soldiers inside the DMZ on Sept. 21. The blasts occurred while South Korean troops were clearing a path for a joint inspection with the U.S.-led United Nations Command to verify suspicions that Pyongyang had illegally planted land mines south of the border in violation of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

Cho said the government takes the matter "very seriously" and is reviewing options with the National Security Council. He said the review includes past responses and measures involving the United Nations. In 2015, three wooden-box North Korean land mines exploded south of the inter-Korean border, seriously injuring two South Korean soldiers; Seoul then sent a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council expressing regret over the provocation and urging Pyongyang to refrain from further provocations.

Asked about possible U.N. Security Council action, Cho outlined four options: a presidential statement, a stronger Security Council resolution, sending a letter, or choosing not to pursue a Security Council-level response depending on its effectiveness. "We are considering all four options," he said. He also said South Korea is reviewing independent sanctions against North Korea over its cyberactivities, based on findings of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, a U.S.-led mechanism. "We are considering such measures. The government will continue to weigh when and how to impose them," Cho said. The MSMT's 2025 report documented North Korea's use of cyber operations and overseas IT workers to evade U.N. sanctions and generate revenue for its weapons programs.

Cho rejected the claim that the government may have delayed its response out of concern about provoking North Korea. "Firmly making demands to North Korea and managing the situation so that it does not unnecessarily escalate are two sides of the same coin," he said. "We will continue efforts on both fronts." North Korea has denied responsibility for the recent explosions and warned of retaliation if South Korea takes corresponding action.

On North Korea policy, Cho said South Korea and the United States have confirmed their aligned stance and commitment to coordination through multiple summit meetings. "We have continued close consultations with the U.S. to encourage North Korea to return to dialogue and negotiations," he said, adding that Seoul would continue to encourage "constructive roles from China and Russia." He stressed a phased and practical approach aimed at halting, reducing and eventually dismantling North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

Concerns have persisted that Washington could shift its focus toward arms control or tension reduction rather than denuclearization after U.S. President Donald Trump in August declined to answer a reporter's question about whether denuclearization was his goal in reengaging with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The U.S. government later reaffirmed its commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea, Cho said. He also said the foreign ministry will closely monitor the U.S. midterm elections in November and work to expand support for the South Korea-U.S. alliance in the U.S. Congress.

Cho said Seoul has held several working-level consultations with Washington on the prospect of renewed U.S.-North Korea dialogue and that he raised the issue during a recent South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting in Washington. He said the allies have coordinated closely at various levels and that the U.S. would not reach a separate agreement with the North without consulting South Korea or notify Seoul only after reaching an agreement. Asked whether North Korea would demand talks based on its status as a nuclear-armed state, Cho said, "That is how I expect it will start." Trump has expressed interest in reengaging with Kim this year, fueling speculation that he could revive personal diplomacy that led to three meetings with Kim during his first term.

On China, Cho said Seoul plans to pursue high-level exchanges with Beijing on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen in November. "We will manage sensitive issues, including Taiwan, so that they do not hamper the momentum of developing bilateral relations," he said. He said Seoul is maintaining necessary communication with Russia and has conveyed grave concerns over ongoing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia while calling for its suspension.

Regarding a diplomatic dispute with Ukraine over two North Korean prisoners of war, Cho said, "Clarifying the facts concerning matters agreed upon privately between the two countries is essential to the development of bilateral relations." The South Korean government has demanded an official explanation and apology over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent disclosure of the transfer of the two North Korean soldiers to Seoul, as well as a statement from his office denying that there had been an agreement to keep the matter confidential.