North Korea Tells UN Security Council That Seoul Faked Landmine Blast in DMZ

North Korea has accused South Korea of fabricating a landmine explosion that wounded three South Korean soldiers, according to a letter sent to the United Nations Security Council. The North's Korean Central News Agency reported on the contents of the message.

Pyongyang's permanent representative to the UN wrote the letter on Sunday. It objected to what it called a provocation by the Republic of Korea, namely the act of "groundlessly shifting the blame" for a "dubious 'mine explosion incident'". The letter also warned that violations of North Korean sovereignty could trigger self-defence.

The blast took place on September 21 inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two countries. Seoul has blamed North Korean landmines for the explosion, while Pyongyang has rejected the accusation. Tensions have risen since.

In the letter, the North Korean envoy described the incident as "a sinister obstructive move to brand as a 'military invasion'" Pyongyang's activities. South Korea's claims, the envoy added, were a "farce to evade the responsibility for the ever-escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula".

The letter also defended North Korea's continuing work to fortify the border, calling it "a legitimate and just exercise of its sovereignty going in strict conformity with the UN Charter". At the same time, it criticised South Korea for violating the charter by firing warning shots at soldiers in the DMZ.

Seoul says it fires those shots to make North Korean soldiers go back north when they cross the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which runs through the DMZ. In recent years, North Korean personnel have been building tactical roads and fences near the line.

South Korea has made its own appeal to the Security Council. Last week, its Foreign Ministry wrote to the council's president, placing the blame for the blast on the North and calling it a "clear violation of the armistice agreement". The US-led UN Command separately said that North Korea's placement of mines breached the Armistice Agreement, which was signed in 1953 to end hostilities in the Korean War.

Days before the North's letter, South Korea's Defence Ministry proposed military talks with Pyongyang. The aim, it said, would be to "mutually confirm the precise location" of the border and so reduce the risk of accidental clashes.