Seoul’s military puts the likely number of North Korean land mines laid along the border between the two Koreas since 2024 at about 960,000, as Pyongyang builds defenses near the Demilitarized Zone.
Lawmakers told Yonhap News Agency on Friday that the military submitted the estimate to the National Assembly. The lawmakers are affiliated with the legislature’s intelligence and defense committees.
The buildup accelerated in April 2024, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared in late 2023 that relations between the two Koreas were those of “two hostile states.” Since then, South Korea’s military has tracked North Korean construction near the Military Demarcation Line, including wire fences, mine placements and anti-tank barriers. The line runs through the Demilitarized Zone.
South Korean forces have used warning broadcasts and warning fire under military rules when North Korean troops approached or crossed the line, according to the report.
Tensions have also been heightened by the Sept. 21 mine incident that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul said its investigation found North Korean antipersonnel mines caused the incident. Pyongyang denied responsibility, accused Seoul of fabricating the findings, and threatened to resume loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at the South and deploy tactical weapons along the border.
The 960,000 figure covers estimated placements since 2024, while the broader mine total is higher. Military experts estimate that more than 2 million mines are buried across the DMZ, including those laid by South Korean forces. Earlier this month, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young cited a comparable estimate during a parliamentary audit.
