The Foreign Minister of South Korea, Cho Hyun, explained this Tuesday that the South Korean government is evaluating possible "diplomatic responses" after the explosion of a mine at the end of September in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a strip that separates the two Koreas and acts as a border. The incident left three South Korean soldiers injured and has been denied by Pyongyang, which has distanced itself from the event.
During an appearance before Parliament, Cho emphasized the need to "avoid an unnecessary increase in tension" in the border area. In this context, he detailed that the Armed Forces concluded this week that the explosive devices were placed by North Korea south of the military demarcation line.
"We take this very seriously. Considering the results of the investigations, the Ministry is weighing what actions to take to formulate a government-level response," he stated, rejecting criticisms that point to a delayed reaction by Seoul to the incident "given the possibility of provoking North Korea."
The head of South Korean diplomacy added that "making strong demands on North Korea and managing the situation so that it does not escalate unnecessarily are two sides of the same coin. We will continue to work on these two fronts."
The episode and the subsequent exchange of accusations occur at a delicate moment, when the president of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, is trying to reactivate contacts with North Korea to promote a negotiation process that leads to a definitive peace treaty to end the Korean War (1950-1953), a conflict that concluded only with an armistice.