Three South Korean military officers have been wounded in an explosion in the western sector of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The cause of Monday's explosion was not immediately clear, the Ministry of Defence said. Local media reports suggested a landmine may have been responsible.
Two of the officers were evacuated from the site by helicopter, while the third was transported by land before being airlifted, according to the ministry. All three are being treated at a military hospital near the capital, Seoul.
Mine explosions and other blasts are a recurring hazard in and around the DMZ, where legacy devices and suspected stray mines have periodically wounded military personnel on both sides.
The DMZ is 248 kilometres long and 4 kilometres wide, and is considered one of the world's most heavily armed borders. An estimated two million mines are scattered inside and near the zone, which is also guarded by barbed wire fences, tank traps and combat troops on both sides.
The zone is a legacy of the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953 and ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
There have been growing concerns in South Korea about increased activity by North Korean soldiers near the military demarcation line, as the North continues to strengthen its border defences amid prolonged tensions.
