Seoul:South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young will end his Europe trip early following revelations that North Korea was responsible for last week's land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). According to Yonhap News Agency, Chung had been scheduled to visit Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Germany from Monday through October 5 to study the region's conflict resolution and peace-building experiences. However, he canceled the planned visits to Ireland and Germany and will return to South Korea on Wednesday to address the situation regarding the DMZ incident. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea announced earlier that it is "highly likely" North Korea planted the mine that exploded on September 21, injuring three South Korean soldiers. They have demanded an apology from Pyongyang. Additionally, the U.N. Command, which oversees the Korean border area, has stated that the mine explosion violated the Armistice Agreement that concluded the 1950-53 Korean War. In response, Pyongyang has den ied any involvement in the incident, dismissing Seoul's accusations as a "groundless conspiracy."