Three mortars were discovered at an apartment construction site in Buk-gu, Gwangju, prompting police and military authorities to implement safety measures.
According to Yonhap News Agency, police reported that the 81mm mortars were found around noon on September 10 near a hillside close to the construction site in Maegok-dong.
After receiving the report, police and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team secured the area and safely disposed of the munitions. No injuries were reported as a result of the discovery.
This is not the first time old munitions have been found at the site. In July, both 81mm and 60mm mortars were discovered at a nearby construction site in the Jungwoo Park area, which were also collected by the military EOD team. The previously found munitions were reported to be in a severely corroded condition.
The area where the mortars were found is known to have been used as a military firing range in the past. Consequently, the construction company is conducting explosive detection operations across the approximately 70,000 square meters of the construction site.
Authorities are investigating the origins of the discovered mortars, considering the possibility that they were used during the Korean War, and are assessing the likelihood of further discoveries.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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