The military authorities of South Korea estimate that North Korea has placed around 960,000 landmines in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates both countries since 2024, according to data submitted by the Armed Forces to the National Assembly. This deployment, concentrated mainly in the last two years, is part of a series of movements aimed at strengthening North Korean defenses along the border strip.
The information, disseminated through the offices of several deputies integrated into the Intelligence and National Defense committees of the South Korean Parliament, indicates that the total number of mines buried in the area, including those installed previously, could rise to two million.
This assessment coincides with the figure mentioned by the South Korean Minister of Unification, Jeong Dong Young, during a control session in the Chamber earlier this month, in which he already referred to the presence of "two million" landmines in the DMZ, according to statements collected by the Yonhap agency.
If the military calculations are confirmed, nearly half of the explosive devices currently located in this territory would have been installed since 2024, which would demonstrate a notable reinforcement of the security measures promoted by Pyongyang along the border line.
Reinforcement of the North Korean border strip
The massive planting of mines is part of a broader campaign to fortify the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), undertaken by the North Korean regime in a context of progressive deterioration of inter-Korean ties.
Since April 2024, Pyongyang has accelerated these works after officially defining the relations between the two Koreas as those of "two hostile states," a stance that has translated into new initiatives to obstruct communications and movements across the common border.
In addition to the installation of mines, work has been carried out on clearing and cleaning areas, the construction of new physical barriers, the opening of roads for tactical purposes, and the placement of additional sections of barbed wire.
The military maneuvers developed around the armistice line have been accompanied by incidents that have directly affected the troops. Among them, reports from Seoul highlight the event of September 21, when the detonation of a North Korean mine in an area located south of the Multilateral Defense Line caused serious injuries to a South Korean soldier.
Increased risk of armed clashes
The intensification of military work and movements at the border has also raised the probability of confrontations, after North Korean forces have crossed the Military Demarcation Line repeatedly during their activities on the ground.
In response to these incursions, the South Korean Army has maintained its response protocol, which includes loudspeaker warnings and warning shots directed at the North Korean units that cross the line, and has reiterated that it will respond accordingly if any South Korean military personnel is injured.
Pyongyang, for its part, has replied with warnings about a possible regulation of loudspeaker broadcasts directed towards the territory of the South.
The expansion of fortifications, the increase of the minefield, and the succession of incidents reflect the hardening of the military pulse on the Korean peninsula, where the defensive measures adopted by both governments continue to fuel tension in one of the most militarized borders on the planet.