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| A map of the Korean DMZ (Image: Wiki Commons) |
North Korea has been laying fresh landmines on its side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with South Korea, the UN Command said Tuesday, following a spate of high-profile defections.
Military personnel were seen planting mines on the North's side of a river crossing known as the Bridge of No Return -- close to the border truce village of Panmunjom, a spokesman for the UN Command, which oversees the Korean War armistice, told AFP.
In a statement the UN Command "strongly" condemned the Korean People's Army (KPA) activity.
"The presence of any device or munition on or near the bridge seriously jeopardises the safety of people on both sides," it said.
The statement added that thousands of visitors -- often school-aged children -- take part in tours to the DMZ.
Despite its name, the DMZ separating the two Koreas is one of the world's most heavily militarised frontiers, bristling with watchtowers and landmines.
It acts as a buffer zone, stretching two kilometres on either side of the actual frontier line.
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