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🇸🇬 Singapore /Conflict & Security

South Korea recovers landmines washed from North by floods

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • South Korean authorities recovered 15 landmines believed to have drifted from North Korea via monsoon floods.
  • The mines were discovered along coastal areas in Gwangwha county between July 23 and August 3.
  • The incident raises concerns about border security and the potential for more mines to wash ashore.

South Korean officials have collected 15 landmines suspected to have washed ashore from North Korea, carried by recent monsoon deluges. The mines were discovered along coastal areas in Gwangwha county, an archipelago situated at the mouth of the Han River estuary, between July 23 and August 3.

believed to have been washed away during the monsoon season and recent torrential rains

— Choi Young-ranChoi Young-ran, head of civil defence for South Korea’s north-western border country of Gwangwha, explaining the suspected origin of the landmines.

Authorities believe the explosives originated from the heavily mined Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that divides the Korean Peninsula. The DMZ, one of the most heavily mined areas globally, contains an estimated 800,000 buried mines, many dating back to the Korean War, with continued mine-laying in recent years. Choi Young-ran, head of civil defense for Gwangwha, confirmed the recovery of all 15 suspected North Korean landmines, stating they were likely swept away by the monsoon season and recent torrential rains.

We have recovered all 15

— Choi Young-ranChoi Young-ran, head of civil defence for Gwangwha, confirming the retrieval of the suspected landmines.

The discovery has heightened concerns about border security and the potential for further risks. Seoul's military had previously warned in July about the danger of heavy rainfall washing explosives across rivers that cross the border, potentially causing significant damage if they detonated downstream. Gwangwha county officials issued alerts to residents, warning of the danger posed by North Korean mines along coastal areas, and have not ruled out the possibility that more mines could arrive. Locals fear a repeat of the 2015 incident, where two South Korean soldiers lost limbs to a North Korean mine, potentially impacting tourism and local activities like clam digging.

not ruled out the possibility that more could arrive

— Gwangwha county officialsCounty officials in Gwangwha expressing concern about the ongoing risk of more mines washing ashore.

This incident also occurs amid broader tensions, with North Korea having previously floated trash-filled balloons and broadcast unsettling noises across the border. The heavy rains have also impacted North Korea, with hundreds of homes at a border military base reportedly washed away after an apparent dam collapse, highlighting the vulnerability of the North's weak infrastructure to natural disasters.

It seems like a dangerous activity for them

— Park Heung-yeolA Ganghwa resident commenting on the risks faced by people digging for clams due to the presence of landmines.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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