An Army staff sergeant was wounded in an explosion last weekend of a land mine presumed to have been buried by the South Korean military in the Demilitarized Zone, officials said Wednesday.

The incident took place at 11:46 a.m. on Sunday in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, during a scouting mission around an area where the Army intentionally planted mines to deter a possible intrusion by North Korean troops.

The staff sergeant, who was wearing galoshes and other protective gear, suffered a slight fracture in his left heel, military officials said. 

Following a probe, the Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded that the detonated device was the South’s antipersonnel M-14, citing plastic remnants found near the scene, the testimonies of other team members and the way the mine inflicted wounds.

“The mine zone was set up as a means to hamper the enemy’s incursion, and the injured officer apparently strayed from the narrow pathway while handling communications devices,” a JCS official told reporters on customary condition of anonymity.

“He underwent surgery yesterday at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital (in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province) and is expected to fully recover in two to three months.”

Military officials were cautious about the disclosure of the incident and its timing. It took place while high-level inter-Korean talks were underway, as the sides locked horns over the Aug. 4 land mine blast in the DMZ. While the South pointed to the North as the culprit, the North denied responsibility, though it later conceded and displayed regret in a joint statement.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)