Workers at an apartment construction site in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, have discovered more than 110 bombs, shells, mines, grenades and other explosives that it says are US-made weapons from the Korean War. According to experts with the Pyongyang City Public Security Bureau, they are at risk of going off and need to be disposed of.
The bombs are rusty but at risk of going off and need to be detected and disposed of, according to the experts. They found about 30 bombs, about a half dozen mortars, and two mortar launchers in one pile at the site in the Hwasong area of Pyongyang, state news agency KCNA reported on Friday.
Despite its poverty and lack of resources, North Korea has launched projects to build 50,000 new apartments to boost people’s living standards. However, the United States has imposed economic sanctions on the communist state, citing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs that draw limited resources away from helping the people.
Its population is about 25 million, and its economy is struggling, especially with draconian restrictions on foreign trade, including the ban on North Korean exports that have hurt its finances. The country also has been under pressure from natural disasters, COVID-19, and international sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
These measures have prompted the country to invest in upgrading its military, including refurbishing a range of US-made weapons from the Korean War, such as B61-12 atomic bombs and a super-large multiple-launch rocket system, according to North Korea’s leading spy agency, the National Intelligence Service. The government says its efforts are necessary for the state’s future.
The Korean War drew the United States and South Korea closer, but it was a long, costly conflict. It is a reminder of the potential for conflict between two nations that want to maintain their influence in Asia and the world.
