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South Korean and U.N. Command investigators inspected part of the Demilitarized Zone on Sunday as they opened an on-site probe into a Sept. 21 explosion that injured three South Korean military officers near the border with North Korea, Seoul's military said.
The blast occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line inside the DMZ, one of the world's most heavily fortified and mined frontiers. One of the three officers suffered severe injuries, including the loss of an ankle.
Authorities have not determined whether a North Korean mine, a South Korean mine or another explosive device caused the explosion.
"Our military and the United Nations Command reached an area close to the suspected blast site to conduct an on-site investigation ... inside the DMZ," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
South Korean forces and the U.S.-led United Nations Command used mine detectors to search routes inside the DMZ and expand access to the suspected blast area from around 9 a.m. until sunset, according to the military.
The investigative team included some of the officers who had been involved in the operation when the explosion occurred.
The military said the area remained highly dangerous because of unidentified mines and that another on-site investigation would be conducted later.
The United Nations Command oversees implementation of the 1953 armistice that halted fighting in the Korean War and works with the South Korean military on inspections and investigations involving potential violations.
When the explosion was first reported Monday, the military said two of the injured officers had been evacuated by helicopter, while the third was to be transported by road before being airlifted.
The DMZ is a 248-kilometer (154-mile) long and roughly 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) wide buffer zone that has divided the Korean Peninsula since the 1953 armistice.
Although officially demilitarized, its northern and southern boundaries are among the world's most heavily fortified frontiers and remain littered with landmines.
Around 800,000 mines are estimated to be buried in and around the area, according to military data cited by Yonhap news agency. Many date to the Korean War, although mine-laying has continued in recent years.
With no peace treaty signed, Seoul and Pyongyang technically remain at war.
Since 2024, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un designated South Korea as his country's "principal enemy," North Korean forces have laid mines and built anti-tank barriers along the border as part of efforts to permanently seal off the frontier.
South Korea's military has previously said several North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in accidental mine explosions during those operations.
Landmine incidents have previously increased tensions between the two Koreas.
In 2015, two South Korean soldiers were seriously wounded when a landmine exploded on the southern side of the DMZ, with one losing both legs.
Seoul concluded that North Korean troops had crossed the Military Demarcation Line to plant the mines, an accusation Pyongyang denied.
The incident prompted South Korea to resume anti-North Korea loudspeaker broadcasts along the border.
The latest investigation comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has repeatedly called for unconditional dialogue with North Korea. Pyongyang has so far not responded to those overtures.
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