Army Only Now Preparing for North Korean Landmines [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

After North Korean landmine explosions in 2015 and again this year, the Army moves to improve preparedness
Combat boots and overshoes in development, but meeting date remains nowhere in sight

Kim Gyuha, Chief of Staff of the Army, answers questions from lawmakers during the National Assembly Defense Committee's audit of the Army Headquarters and other entities at Gyeryongdae in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province. Yonhap News Agency.

The Army has belatedly begun strengthening protective gear against North Korean landmine explosions. After a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in August 2015 and another explosion in the 25th Infantry Division this September, the Army has taken steps to protect its soldiers.

According to the military on Nov. 12, North Korean wooden-box mines contain about 220 grams of TNT. By comparison, the M14 anti-personnel mines used by the South Korean military contain about 28 grams of TNT. The North Korean mines therefore carry more than seven times as much explosive. Yet soldiers tasked with detecting mines have only protective gear consisting of mine-resistant ballistic helmets, mine-protection suits, mine-resistant combat boots and overshoes. The mine-resistant boots and overshoes cannot protect against North Korean wooden-box mines. During the 2015 DMZ landmine explosions, concerns were also raised about the military's inadequate ability to counter wooden-box mines. Soldiers were injured in the explosion in the 25th Infantry Division because their protective gear offered insufficient protection.

More than a month after the landmine explosion, the Army Headquarters Logistics Staff allocated 5.3 billion won to improve the performance of combat boots and overshoes. Even that effort is moving slowly. The Army has yet to set a date for the meeting on force support systems, which must determine the required operational capability (ROC) and requirements. Plans to pursue the research and development project could be ready as early as the second half of next year, meaning the boots and overshoes are unlikely to be supplied to troops before 2030.

Deployment of new mine detectors is also behind schedule. Soldiers have been issued older detectors (PKS-20K), which have been in use since 1990, and newer detectors (PRS-20K), which have been supplied since 2022. The older detectors are effectively unable to detect North Korean wooden-box mines. Despite this, more older detectors—about 2,000—than newer ones—about 1,000—have been deployed to frontline units. In the 25th Division, where the landmine explosion occurred, there are also more older detectors—about 80—than newer ones—about 40.

Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum (KODEF), said, "Compared with the lethality of North Korean anti-personnel mines, our soldiers' protective gear is inadequate to defend against them and has limited effectiveness in frontline operations." He added, "We cannot help but question the military's combat readiness when it only makes improvements after a landmine accident occurs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.