North Korea’s foreign ministry slammed the apparent U.S. endorsement of anti-personnel mines on the Korean Peninsula as “hostile policy” against Pyongyang, saying it is “urgent” to remove all mines from the area.

The DPRK statement came a day after a likely landmine explosion killed the operator of an excavator in South Korea’s Cheorwon County near the inter-Korean border. The detonation has raised anew the issue of unexploded mines in both Koreas that one expert said could number in the millions, assessing that neither side has put enough effort toward removing them.