SEOUL, South Korea — Dozens of land mines washed up on South Korean shores over the weekend, apparently swept down from North Korea by torrential rains. One mine killed a man and wounded another, the military said Sunday.
Two men discovered two mines in wooden boxes floating in a river while they were fishing near the border with North Korea on Saturday night, according to an officer with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One mine exploded while the men were carrying them home, killing one man immediately, the official said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. The other man was seriously wounded and was taken to a nearby hospital.
The land mines can be triggered by slight pressure, he said. It was not clear whether the men knew the objects were mines.
A total of 35 such mines have been swept to South Korea since Saturday, apparently riding rapids triggered by heavy rains in the North, according to the Defense Ministry.
