South Korea says North Korea has planted a large number of landmines along the inter-Korean border since 2024, with figures reported by South Korean lawmakers and authorities. The Independent reports Seoul says North Korea has laid about a million mines along the border since 2024, describing them as additional to earlier mines already placed along the buffer area.
Other outlets focus on the specific estimate attributed to South Korean sources. The Washington Times and Korea Times both cite South Korean lawmakers saying North Korea laid roughly 960,000 mines along the DMZ since 2024. Korea Times further provides context, linking the alleged mine-laying and other border reinforcement activity to changes in inter-Korean relations after Kim Jong-un’s late-2023 declaration that treated South Korea as a hostile “two states” policy.
Yonhap’s report matches the theme and central estimate, attributing it to lawmakers and describing it as part of North Korea’s border fortification work. Across coverage, the shared core is the post-2024 landmine estimate reported by South Korean sources, with differences mainly in how totals are framed and what surrounding context is emphasized.
