60 Landmines Discovered Following Consecutive Typhoons

Wooden Box Landmine

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Military authorities have collected 60 landmines washed away by heavy rains in border areas such as Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do. However, with Typhoon Maysak followed by the 10th typhoon Haishen expected to pass through the Korean Peninsula inland, the military expects more landmines to be displaced.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the 4th, from the 3rd of last month until this day, a 'landmine search and removal operation' was conducted in border areas where landmines could have been washed in due to heavy rains, resulting in the collection of a total of 60 landmines. All the landmines found so far are anti-personnel mines used by our military, believed to have been carried away from minefields due to the recent continuous heavy rains.

The M14 anti-personnel mine is a large can-shaped plastic cylindrical mine, measuring 5.5 cm in diameter and 4 cm in height. The M16 anti-personnel mine features a metal cylindrical body and a 'pressure horn,' measuring 10.3 cm in diameter and 14 cm in height, slightly larger than a typical mug. Near Baengnyeongdo, wooden box mines with explosives removed were also found. However, after the typhoon passes, the possibility of wooden box mines containing explosives being washed away cannot be ruled out. Wooden box mines are light and have been found in border areas and the Han River estuary even after the rainy season ended. North Korean wooden box mines measure 20.3 cm in length, 7 cm in width, and 3.7 cm in height, with various external materials and colors.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff plan to deploy about 9,800 soldiers to search for displaced landmines, focusing on shared rivers between the North and South where landmines could have flowed in from North Korean territory.

A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said, "There is a high possibility that explosives such as landmines have been displaced due to the recent consecutive typhoons," and urged, "If you find objects suspected to be explosives or items whose purpose is unclear, do not touch them under any circumstances and report them to the military integrated defense resident report hotline '1338' or the police at '112'."

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