South Korea's New Defense Minister Urges North Korea to Halt Border-Hardening Following DMZ Landmine Blast

On September 22, 2026, South Korea's newly appointed Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul addressed the issue of North Korea's border-hardening activities, urging the regime to halt its efforts to fortify the inter-Korean border. His remarks followed a landmine explosion on the western side of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which occurred on September 21, 2026, and injured three South Korean military personnel. The incident took place south of the MDL, near the border region between North and South Korea. The South Korean military has launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the blast, which is suspected to be a landmine.