North Korea has issued a stark warning to South Korea over its investigation into a land mine explosion near the border, threatening a military response to any cross-border demining efforts. The statement, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday, condemned Seoul’s final probe into an incident that injured three South Korean soldiers.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) explicitly stated that its forces would respond to any South Korean demining activity that it perceives as crossing into its territory. This declaration marks a significant escalation in rhetoric surrounding security operations in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The warning follows Seoul’s conclusion of its investigation into the explosion, which Pyongyang has now framed as a provocative act. The North’s statement positions any future demining work by the South as a potential trigger for conflict, further chilling inter-Korean relations.