[News in War History] Land Mines Blocking Ukraine’s Counteroffensive: Which Country Invented Them First?

◆News: Russian Land Mines Spanning the Korean Peninsula Halt Western Tanks
◆History 1: Was Joseon the First to Invent Modern Land Mines?
◆History 2: The Nobel Family Profited from Land Mines Before Dynamite
◆Implication: Ukraine Fears Entrenchment of a Korean-Style Division

As Ukraine, bolstered by Western tank support, has launched a counteroffensive against Russian-occupied territories, the previously quiet frontlines in Ukraine have once again become highly active. However, contrary to expectations, Ukrainian forces are struggling to make significant advances.

This is largely attributed to the extensive deployment of both large and small land mines by Russian forces across a vast area nearly equivalent to the size of the Korean Peninsula, making it extremely difficult for tanks, armored vehicles, and other military vehicles to maneuver. Even after the recent destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in the southern Kherson region, which caused massive flooding, Russian land mines have remained the most serious obstacle.

Land mines, which cause various types of damage from the Korean Demilitarized Zone to conflict areas around the world, are expected to lead to increasing civilian casualties in the future. There are even concerns that Ukraine could end up in a prolonged state of division similar to the Korean Peninsula. In this article, we will explore the issue of land mines, which have become a new variable in the war in Ukraine.

◆News: Russian Land Mines Covering an Area the Size of the Korean Peninsula... Western Tanks Halted

The appearance of an anti-personnel mine discovered in the Donetsk region last February. Russia and Ukraine both claim that the other side planted the mine. [Image source=TASS·Yonhap News]

Let’s start with the news. On June 21 (local time), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview with the BBC that the main reason for the slower-than-expected counteroffensive is Russian land mines.

He said, "Progress on the battlefield is slower than we would like. People expect immediate results as if this were a Hollywood movie, but that's not the case," adding, "Russian forces have laid mines across 200,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, making it difficult to advance." Given that the total area of the Korean Peninsula is about 220,000 square kilometers, this means an enormous number of mines have been deployed.

As a result, the movement of Western-supplied tanks, armored vehicles, and other heavy weaponry has been delayed, hampering Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Although the Ukrainian military announced that it had liberated more than eight villages since the start of the counteroffensive earlier this month, it has yet to make a breakthrough in key eastern and southern frontlines.

This massive number of mines not only threatens Ukraine but also endangers the safety of grain trade vessels in the Black Sea region. After the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, located downstream of the Dnipro River in southern Kherson, Russian anti-personnel and anti-tank mines buried in the area were swept into the sea. In particular, anti-personnel mines, which weigh only about 50 to 60 grams, are expected to have spread over long distances, raising concerns about significant civilian casualties.

◆History 1: Was Joseon the First Country to Develop Modern Land Mines?

The appearance of the 'Bigeokjincheonroe (飛擊震天雷),' a bomb used for inflicting casualties on horses and men, widely utilized during the Imjin War in the mid-Joseon period. It is said to have also been used as a shrapnel landmine buried underground. [Image source=Cultural Heritage Administration National Heritage Portal]

The history of land mines, which now threaten to deepen the division of Ukraine, is surprisingly long. The concept of land mines originated from hunting tools, such as traps buried underground or scattered sharp metal objects, but began to be seriously studied after the invention of gunpowder in 11th-century Song Dynasty China.

In China, instead of modern explosive mines, a scatter-type mine similar to today’s "Claymore" was developed to repel fast-moving nomadic invaders outside the Great Wall. The earliest form of land mine is said to have been the "Jincheonroe (震天雷)," a timed explosive device developed in the 12th century, which was filled with metal fragments and bullets and buried underground.

This Jincheonroe technology was introduced to Korea, where it was further developed. The "Bigeokjincheonroe (飛擊震天雷)," widely used during the Imjin War, is known as an advanced version of the Jincheonroe. These weapons were buried underground and detonated by lighting a fuse when enemy troops approached, functioning much like land mines.

There is also a theory that Korea developed explosive-type land mines even earlier than China. This is based on records of the "Pajinpo (破陣砲)," a land mine said to have been developed in Joseon in 1612.

According to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, specifically the Gwanghaegun Diary, there is a report from the Ministry of War to the king about this weapon. In summary, it states: "This spring, we manufactured the Pajinpo in Hoseo and sent it up as per the province’s report. Early last month, while gathered at Mohwagwan for winter artillery practice, we decided to test-fire the Pajinpo. As the gear-shaped iron rubbed against the stones, sparks were produced, the iron cannon shattered, and smoke and flames filled the air. When the fireballs hit the ground, they burned about half the mountain. If many of these were buried along the enemy’s path, it would be greatly advantageous in determining victory or defeat."

Based on this record, it appears that a land mine with tremendous firepower was developed. North Korea claims that Joseon was the first to develop modern land mines based on this record, but since no physical weapons remain and only written records exist, it is impossible to confirm whether this was indeed the world’s first modern land mine.

◆History 2: The Nobel Family Profited from Land Mines Before Inventing Dynamite

An illustration depicting a mine explosion during the American Civil War in 1862.

The developer of the modern land mine as we know it today is generally considered to be Gabriel J. Raines, a Confederate general during the American Civil War. In 1840, he developed a tactical shell equipped with a detonator that could explode under minimal pressure, and records show that in May 1862, he used these mines to inflict heavy losses on Union cavalry.

The family of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prize, also has a connection to land mines. His father, Immanuel Nobel, moved to Russia in 1838, established an arms factory, and mass-produced naval mines for the Russian military. He made a fortune from this business until Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War, and this enterprise later influenced Alfred Nobel’s development of dynamite.

Land mines subsequently saw technological advances and widespread use in numerous battlefields during World War I and II. After World War I, as tanks became the dominant weapon for ground attacks, anti-tank mines were developed alongside anti-personnel mines, which had previously targeted infantry.

As land mines became more prevalent on battlefields, technologies to detect and remove them also advanced. Detectors capable of identifying both metallic and non-metallic mines were developed, as well as specialized mine-clearing vehicles, which are now used in heavily mined conflict zones such as the Middle East and Africa.

◆Implication: Ukraine Fears Entrenchment of a Korean-Style Division

[Image source=Yonhap News]

With the emergence of new, large-scale minefields as a result of the current war, Ukraine is concerned about the possibility of a prolonged division similar to that of the Korean Peninsula. There are fears that a massive demilitarized zone, like the one along the Korean Demilitarized Zone-where more than two million mines are believed to be buried-could split the country and lead to a standoff.

Inside and outside Ukraine, there are concerns that if Ukraine, despite receiving heavy weapons support from the United States and NATO, fails to break the stalemate on the frontlines, it could be forced into negotiations with Russia and end up in a long-term division like Korea. In international affairs, this situation-where a major war has ceased but military confrontation continues-is referred to as a "frozen conflict."

President Zelensky emphasized in his BBC interview, "No matter how much progress we make in the counteroffensive, we will not agree to a frozen conflict," adding, "A frozen conflict is still a war, and it is hopeless for Ukraine." However, breaking through the vast minefields covering an area the size of the Korean Peninsula to create a breakthrough does not appear to be an easy task.