99% of Mine and Unexploded Ordnance Victims in Gyeonggi Border Area Receive No Compensation

[Asia Economy (Uijeongbu) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Since the Korean War, the number of casualties caused by landmines or unexploded ordnance in the border areas of Gyeonggi Province, including Paju, Yeoncheon, and Gimpo, has been counted at 637.

More than half of these victims were injured before turning 20 years old, and it was found that over 99% received no compensation at all.

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 11th that a survey conducted over four months from September 2 to December 27 last year through the nonprofit organization Peace Sharing found that a total of 637 residents living in border areas such as Paju, Yeoncheon, and Gimpo have been victims of landmine or unexploded ordnance accidents since 1950.

Among the 637 victims, 291 were injured by landmine accidents and 346 by unexploded ordnance, with male victims accounting for 579, or 91%.

The period with the highest number of accidents was immediately after the Korean War, from 1950 to 1960, with 321 cases, making up 63% of the total. This was followed by the 1970s at 15% (94 cases), the 1980s at 13% (86 cases), and the 1990s at 3% (16 cases).

324 victims, or 51%, were injured before reaching the age of 20.

Of all victims, 301 (47%) died from the accidents. The remaining 336 (53%) suffered severe injuries such as amputations, blindness, and hearing impairments, and were found to be experiencing mental distress including depression, insomnia, nightmares, and alcoholism after the accidents.

About half of the affected families reported experiencing financial difficulties, appealing for support with living expenses and medical costs.

Only nine victims received compensation after the accidents, while 628, or 99%, did not claim compensation or file lawsuits due to lack of knowledge about the related procedures.

The locations of landmine accidents were reported as follows: hills (37%), riversides (16%), rice paddies and fields (14%), residential areas (12%), and within civilian control lines (9%). Unexploded ordnance accidents occurred mainly in residential areas (37%), hills (25%), riversides (17%), rice paddies and fields (7%), and within civilian control lines (1%).

The province plans to guide landmine victims through the compensation procedures under the "Special Act on Support for Landmine Victims" and will propose to the government the establishment of support measures for unexploded ordnance victims, who currently lack a legal basis for assistance.

A provincial official stated, "This survey will serve as an opportunity to establish compensation measures for landmine and unexploded ordnance victims who have endured special sacrifices for national security and to address blind spots. We also hope it will become valuable data for resolving the landmine issue on the Korean Peninsula."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung has consistently emphasized that special compensation should be provided to the northern Gyeonggi region, where residents have made extraordinary sacrifices for national security.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.