[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] On This Day 5 Years Ago, a Wooden Box Mine Exploded After Heavy Rain

Photo by Ministry of National Defense

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] An emergency alert has been issued in the front-line areas as heavy rain is expected in North Korean regions. There is a high possibility that wooden box landmines planted by North Korea may be washed away, raising concerns that the wooden box landmine provocations from five years ago could recur.

On the 4th, a military official stated, "With heavy rain pouring across all of North Korea, there is a high chance that wooden box landmines could be carried downstream," adding, "Residents and tourists in the front-line areas need to exercise caution."

It is reported that since 2015, North Korea has doubled the amount of landmines planted in the DMZ compared to previous years. More than 4,000 landmines have been planted in various locations within the DMZ. Approximately 70% of these are known to be wooden box landmines.

The 'wooden box landmine' is an anti-personnel landmine made from pine wood. In the front-line areas, wooden box landmines washed away during the monsoon season have occasionally been found. North Korean wooden box landmines are contained in wooden boxes measuring 20cm in width, 9cm in length, and 4.5cm in height, housing 200g of explosives and a detonating device. If the box is opened or subjected to a certain amount of pressure, it is designed to explode, with a lethal radius known to be within 2 meters.

The wooden box landmine is designed to explode when approximately 10kg of weight is applied to the top, and even if one tries to forcibly open the box lid, it will detonate due to the pressure. Inside the box, about 220g of TNT explosives are contained, along with an MUV fuse as the detonating device, a safety pin, a ball, and a spring. Recently, versions made of plastic instead of wood have also been identified. Because they are made of pine wood, the more recently manufactured mines tend to emit a strong pine resin smell. Due to their wooden or plastic materials, they are dangerous as they are not detected by metal detectors commonly used for mine detection.

Civilian injuries caused by North Korean landmines washed away by floods have also occurred frequently. In 2017, a wooden box landmine was found on Achado Island in Ganghwa County, Incheon. In July 2010, a resident named Han (50), who was illegally fishing inside the civilian access control line in Jangnam-myeon, Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, near the tributary Sami Stream of the Imjin River, picked up two wooden box landmines, one of which exploded, resulting in his death at the scene.

On August 4, 2015, five years ago, two South Korean military non-commissioned officers engaged in a search operation south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) near Paju, Gyeonggi Province, suffered serious injuries from wooden box landmines believed to have been planted by North Korean forces in the DMZ.

At that time, the military declared a strong intention to retaliate against North Korea for planting lethal wooden box landmines in the DMZ and demanded an apology and punishment of those responsible. Former President Park Geun-hye also strongly criticized North Korea's DMZ wooden box landmine provocation, calling it "a clear military provocation that illegally crossed the Military Demarcation Line and attempted to kill our soldiers."

Sergeant Ha Jae-heon, who was injured by the explosion of North Korean wooden box landmines during the search operation, and Sergeant Kim Jeong-won, who went to rescue him, both lost their right legs. Sergeant Ha was discharged from the 1st Division in January last year. Seven of the eight search team members who participated in the operation attended to encourage Sergeant Ha's new path. Sergeant Lee Hyung-min is currently serving in the 1st Division Reconnaissance Battalion, and Sergeant Jung Gyo-seong, Master Sergeant Park Seon-il, and Captain Moon Si-jun are also actively serving. Sergeant Kim Jeong-won is affiliated with the Republic of Korea Cyber Command and is currently enrolled in the Department of Computer Science at Sangmyung University, receiving commissioned education. Corporal Park Jun-ho and Corporal Choi Yu-seong have been discharged.