South Korean soldiers deployed to clear patrol routes in the DMZ despite the risk of landmine explosions were found to be receiving an allowance of only around 1,500 won a day.
According to data obtained from the Army by Representative Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party, search battalion members and combat engineer explosive clearance teams deployed to clear new patrol routes in the DMZ receive a special area duty allowance of 90,000 won per month for officers and non-commissioned officers, and 45,000 won per month for enlisted soldiers.
This amounts to about 3,000 won a day for officers and NCOs, and about 1,500 won a day for enlisted soldiers.
Hazardous duty allowance, which compensates for facing risks such as landmine explosions, ranges between 120,000 and 220,000 won per month depending on rank, and is only granted to explosive ordnance disposal teams that directly remove mines in the DMZ.
Even though combat engineer clearance teams take on duties directly exposed to explosion risks by detecting mines at the very front of operational formations, they are not receiving this allowance.
Since 2024, the Army has recommended to the Ministry of National Defense that search battalion members be paid the hazardous duty allowance.
However, it was reported that the Army did not even propose paying the allowance to the engineer clearance teams, who are the ones actually detecting mines at the front.
Currently, the landmine threat in the DMZ remains serious.
It is estimated that around 2 million landmines scattered since the Korean War remain in the DMZ.
On top of this, it is estimated that North Korea has newly planted more than several hundred mines south of the Military Demarcation Line since 2024.
In fact, on September 21, three soldiers—including a search battalion commander and two engineer non-commissioned officers—were injured when a North Korean mine exploded in the DMZ.
Following the mine explosion accident, the Ministry of National Defense stated its policy to continue clearing mines planted by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line.
As a result, South Korean service members are expected to continue being deployed for mine detection and opening patrol routes.
Reported by Kim Min-jeong | Video by Seo Byeong-uk | Design by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.