Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Two South Korean soldiers injured in landmine blast along DMZ separating North Korea

Officers' injuries are not believed to be life-threatening

Rose Troup Buchanan
Tuesday 04 August 2015 08:53 BST
Comments
Soldiers patrol the demilitarised zone separating North and South Korea
Soldiers patrol the demilitarised zone separating North and South Korea (Getty )

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Two South Korean soldiers have been injured by suspected landmines on the border of North Korea.

The two sergeants were injured on the southern side of the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ) at around 7.40am on Tuesday morning, near the city of Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

Both soldiers were rushed to nearby hospitals after the explosion, which reportedly nearly severed their legs, South Korea’s Yonghap news reported.

Officials have ruled out North Korea’s involvement, with a military official telling the news agency that a landmine was a possible cause for the injuries.

"I am very sad about the unfortunate accident that took place during an operation," Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told reporters.

Although the sergeants were injured, their injuries are not reported as life-threatening.

The 2.5 mile border remains one of the most heavily fortified in the world, with an estimated million soldiers and powerful military equipment deployed on either side.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in