By Lee Min-hyung
The military said Friday that it has removed 433 land mines this year.
This year’s mine clearance operation, which started in April, ended Thursday, with soldiers from six units clearing 312 anti-tank mines and 121 anti-personnel mines, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
Operations took place at six areas, including regions bordering North Korea and coastal areas.
“The military has removed about 69,000 mines over the past 17 years, since the operation began in 1998. It plans to go on searching for mines near the Civilian Control Line and some rear bases,” the JCS said in a news release.
The JCS said it has conducted procedural training and safety education for soldiers to prevent any possible accidents during operations, with support from local governments.
More than 1 million mines were reportedly laid near the Demilitarized Zone during the 1950-1953 Korean War.
But the mines are at times washed away by floods, threatening people’s lives.
Land mine accidents have left one soldier dead and 17 seriously injured over the past decade, with one civilian killed last year in a mine accident, according to data compiled last month by ruling Saenuri Party lawmaker Shon In-chun.
Last month, two civilians were killed when land mines exploded on a mountain on the outskirts of Incheon.