North Korean Landmine Found on Ganghwa Island Beach 54 Days Later

Authorities have issued a strong warning after an anti-personnel landmine, presumed to have washed away from North Korea, was discovered again on a beach in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, after about 50 days.

According to Ganghwa-gun today (October 8), a landmine was found at around 3:20 p.m. near Daebinchang Beach in Jumundo, Seodo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun.

A worker engaged in environmental cleanup near the beach discovered the mine and reported it to the relevant authorities.

The Marine Corps 2nd Division dispatched an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to the scene, retrieved the landmine, and disposed of it safely through a controlled detonation.

"An internal investigation by the EOD team indicates that the discovered landmine is presumed to be an anti-personnel mine washed away from North Korea," the Marine Corps stated, adding that there were no casualties or property damage during the discovery and detonation process. They further noted, "The Marine Corps will continue search and prevention activities so that local residents can use the coast safely."

The landmine is believed to have drifted down from North Korea due to heavy summer rainfall.

This is the first time a landmine has been found in an island area of Ganghwa-gun in 54 days, following the previous discovery on August 15.

(File Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.