North Korea denies land mine charge, accuses Seoul of framing Pyongyang

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- North Korea said it is not responsible for the recent land mine blasts that injured two South Korean soldiers and demanded Seoul provide video evidence of Pyongyang's involvement inside the demilitarized zone.

Pyongyang's National Defense Commission said in statement on Friday that South Korea was instigating the North's response by labeling the blasts as a "military provocation," Sky News reported.

"We did not take great interest in the incident since it occurred on the South side [of the DMZ]," Pyongyang said, according to South Korean outlet Newsis.

"But as the [South's] puppet military unit chattered on as the puppet Joint Chiefs of Staff bellowed and the presidential Blue House raised its voice, and the U.N. became involved, we could no longer keep silent."

North Korea said its troops had witnessed the blasts from its side of the DMZ, and that it "makes no sense" for its soldiers to plant three land mines 400 meters south of the Military Demarcation Line that bisects the DMZ.

Pyongyang said Seoul had conspired to frame North Korea's military and that the land mines that exploded in early August were secretly collected beforehand. South Korea had planted the explosives in several locations to accuse the North of provocations, according to North Korea's statement on Friday.

North Korea said the incident that led to serious injuries for two South Korean soldiers were playing out as if it was enacting a scripted scenario.

"The events are reminiscent of sophisticated actors performing a play," Pyongyang said in statement.

The impact of the explosion last week resulted in serious injuries for two guards, identified as 23-year-old Kim Jeong-won and his colleague with the surname Ha. Ha lost both legs, and Kim lost his right ankle when he stepped on another land mine while attempting to rescue his colleague.