South Korea recovers landmines washed from North by floods

South Korea has recovered 15 suspected North Korean landmines that were washed into their coastal territory during recent monsoon floods, according to officials on Friday (Aug 7). The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which separates the two nations since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, is one of the world's most heavily mined regions, with an estimated 800,000 mines buried in the area.

Choi Young-ran, head of civil defence for Gwangwha, the northwestern border province of South Korea, disclosed that the mines were discovered between July 23 and August 3. Gwangwha, situated at the mouth of the Han River estuary, shares a border with both North and South Korea. The South Korean military had previously warned of the risk of heavy rainfall causing explosives to wash into rivers and potentially explode downstream, resulting in significant damage.

In 2015, two South Korean soldiers patrolling the western DMZ lost limbs after being severely wounded by a North Korean mine. Following the 2015 incident, Gwangwha county issued alerts to residents regarding the danger of North Korean mines along coastal areas and expressed concern that a recurrence could cause a decline in tourist numbers.