[Financial News] The South Korean military estimates that North Korean forces have newly laid 960,000 mines in the DMZ over the past two years. The DMZ has previously been estimated to contain a total of 1.5 million to 2 million mines laid by North Korean and South Korean forces. According to materials the military reported to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee and National Defense Committee on the 23rd, North Korea laid 960,000 mines in the DMZ in the two years since it began fortifying its border. However, it remains unclear whether those 960,000 mines are included in the roughly 2 million mines in the DMZ estimated by the South Korean government so far. Earlier, Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young said at a recent parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Unification, held at the Inter-Korean Talks Headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul: “There are 2 million land mines in the DMZ. It will take 100 to 200 years to remove them all,” adding that conflict and hostility must be eliminated. The DMZ has long been known as one of the most densely mined areas in the world. South Korean military mines were laid intensively in the past, during a security crisis in the 1960s, for defensive purposes to prevent North Korean forces from invading the South. Of the approximately 828,000 South Korean military mines on South Korean territory, around 380,000 are believed to be laid within the DMZ proper. The rest are dispersed in areas north of the Civilian Control Line or in rear air-defense positions. The current trend is to gradually remove and manage the mines for civilian safety, without laying any additional ones. Some civilian groups believe that South Korean military mines could also number close to 1 million if unconfirmed mines and others are included. [email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter