Kim Jong-un soldiers toss landmines aiming for South Korea

Happily walking along the beach, ‘carefree’ American and British tourists have no idea just what is lying underneath the sand or in the nearby sea.

Situated just a few miles away from the North Korea border, Dongmak Beach on Ganghwa Island is a popular destination for foreigners and locals wanting to escape the busy capital city of Seoul for the day, which is about 37 miles away.

On a summer’s day, this South Korean coastline is packed with people sunbathing or picking through the sand on the hunt for clams and crabs, some among the 37,500 members of the American military on leave. 

Yet this isn’t any normal beach resort – it’s possibly the most dangerous stretch of sand in the world. 

Despite the restaurants, water slides, quirky attractions and hordes of ocean lovers, Dongmak Beach is in an unenviable position due to its proximity to the North Korean border.

Kim Jong-un’s soldiers have been throwing landmines into the Yellow Sea knowing that strong local currents take them to the waters directly off the popular destination, DailyMailTV has learned.

North Korean soldiers have been throwing landmines into border waters of the the Yellow Sea, and the explosives are washing up on Dongmak Beach in South Korea and injuring tourists

 Officials claim that 110 incidents have so far been reported being found at the beach 

 Officials claim that 110 incidents have so far been reported being found at the beach 

South Korean officials have posted warning signs to alert beach-goers of the danger. This sign reads: 'Any attempt to open or apply force will trigger an explosion. In the past 10 years, we have nearly found 110 landmines on this island'

South Korean officials have posted warning signs to alert beach-goers of the danger. This sign reads: ‘Any attempt to open or apply force will trigger an explosion. In the past 10 years, we have nearly found 110 landmines on this island’

These are round land mines found in Cambodia, similar to the ones found on the South Korean beach

These are round land mines found in Cambodia, similar to the ones found on the South Korean beach

Dongmak Beach (pictured) on Ganghwa Island is a popular destination for foreigners and locals wanting to escape the busy capital Seoul for the day, which is about 37 miles away

Dongmak Beach (pictured) on Ganghwa Island is a popular destination for foreigners and locals wanting to escape the busy capital Seoul for the day, which is about 37 miles away

According to council officials, there’s been 110 incidents and many more landmines have been found.

The problem is much worse in the monsoon season of July and August when the water levels rise and the landmines have the capability to travel further south. 

Dongmak Beach is situated on the southern tip of Ganghwa Island – which is attached to the South Korean mainland by road – and should be out of harm’s way.

But North Korean soldiers have discovered that the strong currents push the landmines around the island and dump them onto their neighbor’s most popular beach, causing maximum havoc.

Now, South Korean military and police have put up signs warning people how to spot the various shapes and sizes of landmines and to be careful when hunting for crustaceans.

On one sign, there’s a picture of the landmines – one looking like a metal brick and another a small brown disc shape – and the warning reads: ‘Watch out for loose landmines from North Korea. 

‘Due to the monsoon and raining season, we have been finding landmines near the beach and it is possible that there are more. If you see any objects that look like the mines in the picture below, do not touch it and please contact military services.’

Despite the warnings, many unsuspecting American and British tourists have no idea that landmines are being found because they are unable to read the Korean warning signs. This image was posted by an American tourist on TripAdvisor

Despite the warnings, many unsuspecting American and British tourists have no idea that landmines are being found because they are unable to read the Korean warning signs. This image was posted by an American tourist on TripAdvisor

Another sign reads: 'Due to the monsoon and rain we have been finding wooden mines from North Korea. If you do find a mine, do not touch it under any circumstances and call 112 (Korean police) or report to your nearest police station'

Another sign reads: ‘Due to the monsoon and rain we have been finding wooden mines from North Korea. If you do find a mine, do not touch it under any circumstances and call 112 (Korean police) or report to your nearest police station’

The sign continues: ‘Any attempt to open or apply force will trigger an explosion. We have found 110 landmines on this island. On 12 August 2017, we have found a wooden box landmine on a fishing net, which exploded after it touched other objects in the net. The marines are close by, do not hesitate to call.’

Another sign reads: ‘Due to the monsoon and rain we have been finding wooden mines from North Korea. If you do find a mine, do not touch it under any circumstances and call 112 (Korean police) or report to your nearest police station.’

There’s also a warning from the Incheon Provincial Police Agency stating: ‘Protection against unidentified explosives (wooden box mines). We have identified several mines and we expect to see more. If you see anything that looks like anything in the photos below, or if you have found an unidentifiable object that resembles it, do not touch it and contact the nearest military base.’

Unsuspecting American beach-goers aren’t able to read the signs because they are in Korean, and have been posting online their picture-postcard images of the beach. 

One visitor from Chicago, username JanMichael_24, said in September: ‘I’ve seen families with tents around the beach. One guy playing with his dog. This beach has a laid back vibe to it. My kind of beach.’

A tourist from Chipping Norton in The Cotswolds, England, remarked in May: ‘Dongmak Beach is a nice beach to visit off-season. During the peak summer months it’s really busy and the traffic can be a nightmare. However during October/November time the weather is cool, the crowd is gone and therefore it’s a relaxing place to visit.’

Under the orders of Kim Jong-un (pictured), the explosives are aimed at unsuspecting tourists, including American, British and South Korean, who visit the popular beach resort

Under the orders of Kim Jong-un (pictured), the explosives are aimed at unsuspecting tourists, American, British and South Korean, who visit the popular beach resort

Americans are largely unaware of the danger that lurks. One visitor from Chicago said on social media in September: 'I've seen families with tents around the beach. One guy playing with his dog. This beach has a laid back vibe to it. My kind of beach'

Americans are largely unaware of the danger that lurks. One visitor from Chicago said on social media in September: ‘I’ve seen families with tents around the beach. One guy playing with his dog. This beach has a laid back vibe to it. My kind of beach’

A warning sign reads: 'Protection against unidentified explosives (wooden box mines)  We have identified several mines in this region and we expect to see more'

A warning sign reads: ‘Protection against unidentified explosives (wooden box mines) We have identified several mines in this region and we expect to see more’

Locals are fiercely proud of their beach and the surrounding quirky tourist attractions, which includes a house that was purposely built upside down. A cafe is made of two houses joined together, slanted at 45 degrees, so it looks like they’ve been hit by an earthquake.

There’s also a hotel-cum-waterpark, with fake windmills and a huge replica ocean liner, which acts as guests’ accommodation. All of these attractions are slowly decaying, as news is filtering out to domestic tourists to stay away.

But it’s the last thing that local restaurant and store owners need. 

Shopkeeper Cho Ga Ung, who has lived on the island for 17 years, was hesitant to talk about the landmines, concerned that it would lead to a negative view of the beach.

He said: ‘Course, those kids [North Koreans] do it on purpose. During the monsoon season, the North Korean soldiers throw loose landmines down here. Those mines drift down on to the other islands, but they eventually reach here. Some people have died from it, you know.

‘It’s not a one-time thing, mines come here every monsoon. This has been happening for years and been getting worse since Kim Jong-un got in power. He’s just like his father.

‘The military and police have put around signs, the commander of the marines commissioned the signs himself. We’re just trying to make a living, you know, there’s not much to what we think. This is the most active street on this side of the island, and we’re in the middle of it. But there’s not much we locals can do to stop the mines from coming.’ 

Shopkeeper Cho Ga Ung, who has lived on the island for 17 years, was reticent to talk about the landmines, concerned that it would lead to a negative view of the beach and hurt business 

Shopkeeper Cho Ga Ung, who has lived on the island for 17 years, was reticent to talk about the landmines, concerned that it would lead to a negative view of the beach and hurt business 

Locals are fiercely proud of their beach and the surrounding quirky tourist attractions, which includes a house that was purposely built upside down. A cafe is made of two houses joined together, slanted at 45 degrees, so it looks like they've been hit by an earthquake (pictured) 

Locals are fiercely proud of their beach and the surrounding quirky tourist attractions, which includes a house that was purposely built upside down. A cafe is made of two houses joined together, slanted at 45 degrees, so it looks like they’ve been hit by an earthquake (pictured) 

A huge replica of an ocean liner acts as guests' accommodation. All of these attractions are slowly decaying, as news is filtering out to domestic tourists to stay away

A huge replica of an ocean liner acts as guests’ accommodation. All of these attractions are slowly decaying, as news is filtering out to domestic tourists to stay away

Other attractions include a water slide park next to the beach, which is a bit rundown and has seen better days

Other attractions include a water slide park next to the beach, which is a bit rundown and has seen better days

He added: ‘Who knows if this problem is going to get worse? No one knows if the North Koreans are going to drift more or less mines in the future. We rely on local and foreign tourists, it has hurt our business, but the point is we’re still here opening our shops even if we don’t know what will happen.’

Fellow resident Ji-Woo Lee added: ‘This used to be one of the cleanest, nicest beaches in South Korea, we’re still open, but for how long can this go on for? We need protection from this sort of thing from the marines and army.’

The local council is hoping that they can still entice tourists, especially as this year Ganghwa Island is the ‘city of tourism’ for South Korea and is being heavily promoted.

Ganghwa Island Council official Kim Jung Nam says that they prefer it when people float themselves downstream rather than throw landmines, as recently they’ve had defectors from North Korea jump into the water and float all the way down south.

‘A few months ago, a man floated his way towards the bridge, where a soldier fished him out. He was later sent to the South. At the right time and place, you can float your way here,’ explains Nam.

‘Now this year is the year of tourism in Ganghwa Island, which has helped us get a head start in tourism. And not only are we using this opportunity to increase tourism, but we are also using it to increase awareness of our role in the unification and peace advocacy community.’ 

The local council is hoping that they can still entice tourists, especially as this year Ganghwa Island is the 'city of tourism' for South Korea and is being heavily promoted

The local council is hoping that they can still entice tourists, especially as this year Ganghwa Island is the ‘city of tourism’ for South Korea and is being heavily promoted

A resident added: 'Who knows if this problem is going to get worse? No one knows if the North Koreans are going to drift more or less mines in the future. We rely on local and foreign tourists, it has hurt our business'

A resident added: ‘Who knows if this problem is going to get worse? No one knows if the North Koreans are going to drift more or less mines in the future. We rely on local and foreign tourists, it has hurt our business’



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