North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile towards the East Sea early Saturday, South Korea’s military said on Saturday. The incident comes as tensions rose after Seoul blamed Pyongyang for a landmine blast in the Demilitarised Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers.The missile was launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The military said South Korea, the US and Japan were maintaining a “robust defence posture” through close information sharing on North Korean ballistic missile launches.The launch came hours after Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected Seoul’s demand for an apology over the DMZ explosion. She called South Korea “despicable” and dismissed Seoul’s proposal for border talks as a “wild dream and unilateral jargon”.South Korea’s military had demanded an official apology from Pyongyang after three of its soldiers were wounded in a landmine blast last month inside the DMZ, the heavily mined buffer zone separating the two Koreas.Seoul and the US-led United Nations Command said an investigation found that the explosion was caused by North Korean mines laid on the South Korean side of the border. South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul said the mines were believed to have been planted as part of Pyongyang’s efforts to fortify the border.North Korea has denied responsibility for the blast. In a separate report carried by its official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo Jong said it was “quite ridiculous” for South Korea to demand an apology.She also mocked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to improve ties, describing his latest overture as “the climax of the farce that everyone should watch”.Despite the escalating tensions, Lee on Thursday urged Pyongyang to return to dialogue. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young also proposed talks with North Korea on Friday to address issues along the border.North Korea has stepped up work to fortify its frontier with South Korea, including laying mines and building anti-tank barriers. The measures followed Kim Jong Un’s 2024 designation of South Korea as his country’s “principal enemy”.The latest flare-up comes as US President Donald Trump’s recent overtures to Pyongyang have raised concerns in Seoul that South Korea could be sidelined in any future nuclear talks involving North Korea. Pyongyang is backed by Russia and China.South Korea’s opposition People Power Party has accused Lee of failing to criticise North Korea when warranted. “South Korean soldiers have been injured, and far from receiving an apology, we have been mocked by North Korea,” the party said.“We fail to see how selectively turning a blind eye to North Korea serves South Korea’s dignity or the safety of its people.”
