North Korea is estimated to have laid approximately 960,000 landmines in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) over the past two years, accounting for about half of the total landmines in the area.
On October 23, multiple lawmakers from the National Assembly's Intelligence and Defense Committees reported that the military provided this information to the Assembly. Earlier, Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young mentioned during a National Assembly audit on October 7 that the total number of landmines in the DMZ is around 2 million, a figure also supported by experts who estimated the number, including friendly landmines, to be about 2 million. According to military reports, it is estimated that about half of the total landmines in the DMZ were laid relatively recently.
Recently, North Korea has been fortifying its borders, which some interpret as a response to discrepancies along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Minister Jeong referred to the recent landmine explosions near the MDL as 'incidents' rather than 'accidents.'
Additionally, as a response to the situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering sanctions against North Korea's illegal cyber activities, although Minister Jeong has drawn a line, stating that this is a 'separate issue.' This has led to speculation about conflicts with Foreign Minister Park Jin.
Furthermore, our military continues to issue warning broadcasts and conduct warning shots towards North Korean troops that cross the MDL, but North Korea has expressed opposition, claiming that it threatens the safety of its soldiers. Recently, Kim Yo-jong, the deputy director of the Workers' Party of Korea, has escalated rhetoric by announcing plans for loudspeaker broadcasts directed at South Korea.
In response to the situation, the government has sent a letter to the chair of the United Nations Security Council. The letter is expected to be registered as an official Security Council document and posted on its website within a few days.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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