N. Korea likely planted 960,000 land mines along inter-Korean border since 2024: lawmakers

North Korea is believed to have planted approximately 960,000 land mines along the inter-Korean border since 2024, lawmakers say. This move is viewed as part of Pyongyang's efforts to fortify its border following the declaration of a "two hostile states" policy toward Seoul in late 2023. The South Korean military has reported this figure to the National Assembly, according to lawmakers from the parliamentary intelligence and defense committees who spoke with Yonhap News Agency.

Since April 2024, North Korea has intensified border reinforcements, with its leader Kim Jong-un ordering the hostile relations with Seoul. As a result, the South's military has observed an uptick in North Korean troop movements installing barbed-wire fences, laying mines, and constructing anti-tank barriers along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), the inter-Korean border situated within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

North Korean soldiers have been observed approaching or even crossing the MDL on multiple occasions, leading the South's military to issue warning broadcasts or fire warning shots in accordance with standard operational procedures.