South Korea has sounded the alarm on Pyongyang’s recent move to plant thousands of landmines along their border.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff recently told media reporters that the explosive weapons can be easily swept into its territory by flooding.
It also argued that the act could be considered deliberate, as the monsoon season has already begun in South Korea.
An estimated two million mines are believed to have been buried along the two countries’ 248-kilometer (154-mile) border.
A Dangerous Provocation
Pyongyang’s recent minelaying activity could be viewed as a way to bolster its frontline security posture.
It could also aim to prevent soldiers and citizens from defecting to South Korea.
Seoul’s officials have expressed concerns about the potential danger of the move, claiming that laying the mines alone had already caused about 10 explosions and inflicted “many casualties” within the North Korean military.
For South Korea, the danger lies in the mines being washed downriver, entering its territory and causing potentially deadly incidents.
In 2015, two South Korean soldiers were seriously injured due to a mine explosion blamed on North Korea in the demilitarized zone.
