'Border fortification is a legitimate exercise of sovereignty'

'Will exercise right to self-defense if territory violated by even 1 mm'

North Korean soldiers carry out border fortification work, including the construction of tactical roads and wire fencing, in the Gaepung-gun area of North Korea's Hwanghae Province, as seen from Ganghwa-gun, Incheon. [Yonhap]
North Korean soldiers carry out border fortification work, including the construction of tactical roads and wire fencing, in the Gaepung-gun area of North Korea's Hwanghae Province, as seen from Ganghwa-gun, Incheon. [Yonhap]

North Korea has written to the president of the UN Security Council, claiming that a landmine explosion was "South Korea's self-staged provocation."

KCNA reported Monday that North Korea's permanent representative to the UN sent the letter to the Security Council president on Sunday, in connection with the landmine explosion that occurred on Sept. 21.

The letter said the "so-called landmine explosion fabricated by South Korea is no more than a sinister scheme to smear the DPRK's southern border fortification as a military incursion and to delay and obstruct it," adding that it was "a self-staged provocation to evade responsibility for the deterioration of the situation on the Korean Peninsula."

North Korea went on to say that its southern border fortification "is a self-defensive measure to protect the territorial integrity of the DPRK from external threats of aggression, and a legitimate and rightful exercise of sovereignty fully consistent with the UN Charter and international law."

The letter also accused South Korea of "recklessly firing shots that gravely threaten the lives and safety of our soldiers engaged in the border fortification project," calling it "a serious violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of any state in international relations."

North Korea further warned that "if the Republic of Korea commits any direct act of provocation that violates our state's territory by even 1 millimeter or endangers the safety and lives of our personnel, the DPRK reminds that it has the legitimate right to exercise the right to self-defense as set out in Article 51 of the UN Charter."

The letter appears to be a counter to an earlier letter in which the South Korean government urged the Security Council president to demand an apology from North Korea and call for responsible action over the landmine explosion in the demilitarized zone and escalating tensions along the MDL.


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