State: North Korea planting mines would pose a safety risk

North Korea’s placing of land mines on its side of the demilitarized zone with South Korea further exacerbates tensions and poses a “safety risk,” the State Department said Tuesday. 

“It would be in their rights to on their side of the border take these actions, but it just I think would only further exacerbate tensions. And [it] does pose a safety risk,” said State Department spokesman Matt Toner.

{mosads}North Korea was seen laying anti-personnel mines near its side of the Panmunjom “truce village” spanning a military demarcation line separating it from South Korea last week, presumably to block further defections by its own soldiers, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Tuesday. 

A North Korean diplomat posted in London recently defected to South Korea. 

It was the first time North Korea was seen planting mines in Panmunjom since the inter-Korean armistice agreement in July 1953, according to Yonhap. Last year, two South Korean soldiers were wounded by mines. The North expressed regret for the incident, without admitting to planting them. 

The incicent comes just as the U.S. and South Korea start their annual military exercises, which typically has raised tensions with North Korea. 

North Korea’s military on Monday said it was prepared to launch a retaliatory strike against South Korea and the U.S. in response to the exercise, dubbed Ulchi Freedom.