The two Koreas urgently need to restore military communication to prevent a landmine dispute in the demilitarised zone (DMZ) from escalating into an armed clash, according to observers. The danger is growing as North Korea presses ahead with leader Kim Jong-un’s order to fortify its side of the 4km (2.5 mile) wide buffer zone separating it from the South. South Korea views the works, including the laying of mines near the sparsely marked Military Demarcation Line (MDL) running through the centre of the DMZ, as a violation of the 1953 Korean war armistice agreement. Last Monday, two South Korean soldiers clearing routes south of the MDL to monitor North Korean activities were wounded when two anti personnel mines exploded.