[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Eight Landmines Found at the Frontline After Heavy Rainfall

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Recently, eight anti-personnel mines were discovered in border areas such as Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, due to heavy rainfall. There are concerns about secondary damage caused by washed-away mines and explosives.

On the 13th, Moon Hong-sik, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, stated at a regular briefing, "About 700 troops and 320 pieces of equipment will be deployed for mine detection operations today, and so far, eight mines have been collected."

The mines found so far are M14 and M16 anti-personnel mines. The discovered areas include Chuncheon, Hwacheon, and Cheorwon in Gangwon Province. The M14 anti-personnel mine, made of plastic and lightweight (weighing 95g, diameter 5.5 cm, height 4 cm), causes injuries such as the amputation of ankles or wrists and is commonly called the "ankle mine" or "storm mine." The M16 anti-personnel mine is a deadly weapon that, when stepped on, jumps 2.4 to 3 meters into the air and explodes, killing any life within a 38-meter radius.

Due to heavy rainfall, parts of the barbed wire fence have been washed away, increasing the possibility of North Korean wooden box mines (Mokham mines) drifting downstream. The barbed wire fence starting from the Imjin River riverside extends to Myeongho-ri, Goseong County, on the East Coast, with a total length of 248 km (155 miles). It is known that the sections where the fence has been washed away are concentrated in the western region. Especially, with heavy rain warnings issued mainly for the central region, accompanied by gusts, thunder, and lightning, the length of the washed-away fence sections may increase.

The Mokham mine is an anti-personnel mine made of pine wood. In the front-line areas, Mokham mines washed away during the monsoon season have been found before. North Korean Mokham mines are wooden boxes measuring 20 cm wide, 9 cm long, and 4.5 cm high, containing 200g of explosives and a detonator. They are designed to explode if the box is opened or subjected to a certain amount of pressure, with a lethal radius known to be within 2 meters.

The Mokham mine is designed to explode when approximately 10 kg of weight is applied to the top, and even if one tries to force open the box lid, it will explode due to the pressure. Inside the box, about 220g of TNT explosives are contained, along with an MUV fuse, safety pin, ball, and spring as the detonating mechanism. Recently, versions made of plastic instead of wood have also been identified. Because they are made of pine wood, newer mines tend to emit a strong 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 mines washed away by floods have also occurred occasionally. In 2017, a Mokham mine was found on Achado Island, 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 Imjin River tributary Sami Stream, picked up two Mokham mines, and one of them exploded, resulting in his death at the scene.

The military estimates that the minefield area on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and both the northern and southern sides of the Civilian Control Line (CCL) is about 40 times the size of Yeouido. In this area, besides Mokham mines, there are M-14 and M-16 anti-personnel mines, M-15 anti-tank mines, and the total number of mines is estimated to be around 2 million.