GKU says mines endanger residents

The Green Korea United (GKU) asserted Tuesday that in 21 areas behind the rear guard, south of the border, south of the Han River and the nearby hiking trails, there are underground anti-personnel mines that threaten the safety of the nearby residents.

The GKU held a morning press conference at its headquarters in the Christian Association Hall in the Jongno area of Seoul and made the announcement after a 20-month field study, which began February 1999.

"As of the beginning of the year, of the 39 rear-guard districts, about 75,000 mines have been known to be planted within the iron railing, but none in any hiking paths,¡± a GKU official at the press said.

According to the GKU, not only in such national parks where wildlife is abundant such as Mount O-dae National Park, Mount Namhan Provincial Park, and Mount Yang and Mount Gaji National Park, but also mines could be found at Mount Choikyong in Taegu, Yangjong area in Woolsan, and Mount Woomyong in Seoul, where many visitors go.

By district, Kyonggi and Kyongnam districts had the greatest number of mined areas with four each, Chungchongnam-do with three, Pusan and Chollanam-do with two each, and other areas such as Seoul, Taegu, Ulsan, Kangwon, Kyongsanpuk-do, and Chollapuk-do, all had one mined area each.

So far, as the exact nature and danger of the mines in the rear-guard areas have been kept secret as a security measure, the exact dangers are not yet fully known.

Adding to the 21 mined areas revealed by the GKU the areas north of the Han River in Kimpo, Yangju-kun and Pochon-kun among others, the number revealed by the Ministry of Defense, 34, seems to coincide with the GKU estimate.