Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks to reporters during a brief press in Seoul. YONHAP/VNA Photo

SEOUL The unification ministry said yesterday it will keep seeking peaceful solutions to inter-Korean issues, reiterating its commitment to seeking dialogue following the recent explosions of North Korea-planted land mines inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three South Korean military officers.

The statement came a day after Seoul's defense ministry concluded North Korea was behind the September 21 land mine explosions.

The ministry said it would consider the next steps with relevant government agencies, including the defense ministry.

"We will keep working to break the vicious cycle of hostility and confrontation, and to build a virtuous cycle of peace and prosperity," it said, adding it would pursue lasting peace "through communication rather than a hard-line standoff."

The South Korean military on Monday announced the final results of its joint investigation with the UN Command into the blast, confirming its preliminary findings that resin antipersonnel mines deliberately planted by Pyongyang south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) caused the explosion.

The military conducted a mine-clearing operation at the site in response. YONHAP