PYONGYANG – The recent mine explosion in the demilitarized zone on the Korean Peninsula was a "farce" fabricated and unilaterally determined by the Republic of Korea (ROK), the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Tuesday.

Seoul's attempt to shift responsibility for the incident onto the DPRK and tarnish its international image constituted a grave provocation that could not be overlooked, the Korean Central News Agency quoted the ministry as saying.

The ministry said in a statement that the incident was a plot by the ROK military to brand the DPRK's fortification of its southern border as a "military invasion" and shift the blame for the accident onto the DPRK.

The DPRK will act in a more resolute and bold manner to ensure the security of its southern border, it said.

Three ROK soldiers were injured, two of them seriously, in a landmine explosion on Sept 21 while conducting a mission in the demilitarized zone on the ROK side near the military demarcation line.

At a press conference on Monday to announce the final results of its investigation, the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff said the explosion was caused by anti-personnel landmines planted by the DPRK south of the military demarcation line. It demanded an apology from the DPRK and the immediate removal of the mines concerned.