Multiple Explosive Ammunition Found at Security Exhibition Hall

Deactivation Measures for Anti-Personnel Mines Not Completed at Yanggu Security Exhibition Hall in Gangwon-do

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Additional ammunition that had not undergone 'deactivation' measures was discovered at the Yanggu Security Exhibition Hall in Gangwon Province, where soldiers were injured due to an explosion of an exhibit. It has been pointed out that a large-scale explosion could have occurred at any time.

On the 17th, the Army announced that after launching an investigation following the explosion accident at the exhibition in Yanggu, it confirmed that some anti-personnel mines and high-explosive bombs among the exhibition materials at the Security Exhibition Hall were displayed without completing the 'deactivation' process.

Accordingly, the Army has begun a full inspection and disposal operation of ammunition exhibits at the Security Exhibition Hall and the History Hall. Some explosives displayed at the Yanggu exhibition hall had been exhibited for as long as 30 years without undergoing deactivation measures to prevent detonation.

Earlier, on the 31st of last month, two soldiers were injured when an explosive detonated while unit members were transporting exhibits at an Army unit's Security Exhibition Hall in Yanggu.

According to the Army's interim investigation results, it is presumed that the explosion occurred when a soldier stepped on an M14 anti-personnel mine that had not been deactivated during the process of transporting exhibition materials temporarily stored for remodeling the Security Exhibition Hall.

The Army stated that after the accident, the unit found more unexploded explosives that had not been deactivated during the investigation of the exhibition materials and immediately completed safety measures. This means that a larger explosion could have occurred during transportation. To prevent similar accidents from recurring, the Army is conducting a full inspection of ammunition displayed at security exhibition halls and history halls both inside and outside the military, retrieving and disposing of ammunition exhibits confirmed not to be dummy or deactivated ammunition.

Meanwhile, the Army Military Police, together with civilian police, are investigating the detailed circumstances of the mine explosion and how explosives that had not undergone deactivation measures were displayed.

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