North Korean land mines wash into Seoul
South Korean soldiers remove tons of mud from the inside of a building after a flood caused by heavy rains hit the area around an apartment complex in Seoul on July 28, 2011. Tens of thousands of South Korean troops joined a massive clean-up on July 28 after record-breaking rainfall killed at least 39 people, flooded hundreds of homes and turned main roads into muddy rivers.
Pounding rains have turned Seoul's streets to canals and left more than 50 dead or missing in South Korea.
That's bad enough. Compounding the problem are land mines, planted by the rival North Koreans along the DMZ.
According to the Korea Herald, more than 10 mines, planted in wooden boxes, have been discovered by the South Korean army after the torrential floods. North Korean mines dislodged by heavy rains actually killed a South Korean last year and left another injured.
The floating mines are a reminder of just how close Seoul sits to the heavily fortified demarcation line drawn after the Korean War in 1953.
A defense ministry official told the Associated Press that southward floating mines were likely accidental and not intentionally sent downstream by the North Koreas.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!