Heavy rains wash North Korean mines into neighboring country

South Korea's military warned on July 23 that recent heavy rains in neighboring North Korea may have caused a large number of mines placed in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the Korean Peninsula to wash into South Korea along rivers.

According to Yonhap News Agency and foreign media, the director of public affairs for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military has detected signs that some mines placed by the North Korean army in the DMZ may have been washed away by recent heavy rain. The South Korean military added that some of the suspected mines have exploded north of the Line of Control.

Mines from the neighboring country are drifting into South Korea through rivers shared by the two Koreas and could cause casualties and property damage if they explode, the military said, urging the public to be vigilant.

The warning also relates to the recent flood dispute between North and South Korea. The South Korean government recently reported that North Korea released water from the Hwanggang Dam upstream of the Imjin River without warning, prompting South Korea to issue a flood warning. South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said satellite images had confirmed the North's water release.