South Korea’s top military officer criticized North Korean mine laying on the ROK side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a “clear provocation” on Thursday, pledging “appropriate” measures in response to last month’s explosions that injured three soldiers.

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung said the Sept. 21 mine explosions were “a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and a provocation that threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” adding that the ROK military “strongly condemns the illegal and reckless actions of the North Korean regime.”

Jin made the remarks in his opening statement at the