Re: Another Tragedy at DMZ

[James Robert Dennis III <jrdennis@earthlink.net>]

The DMZ didn't inflict a heavy toll, it was greed and stupidity that 
inflicted the toll.

There is the Military Demarkation Line (MDL) that approximated the line 
of contact prior to the Armstice.  Combat units were withdrawn 2 
kilometers either side of the MDL.  This 4 kilometer wide zone forms up 
the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).  South of the DMZ, but not necessarily on 
it, is the Southern Barrier Fence, (the North Koreans have a similiar 
barrier on the northern side).  This Southern Barrier Fence has many 
components, such as guard posts but it is easily seen and is generally an 
8 foot high chain link fence, topped with concertina razor wire and in 
many places the north side has triple concertina razor wire.

Unless the man scaled, crawled under or went through this chain link 
fence, he was not in the DMZ and therefore "it" didn't inflict any toll.

The Republic of Korea governments have made the decision not to remove 
some of the minefields south of the Southern Barrier Fence.  This is why 
there are "Prohibited Military Zones", they are  to keep civilians from 
causing injury to themselves and others.   Known and suspected minefields 
are marked with a wire barrier and signs in Korean and English stating 
that mines are present.  Now it is April, the mines do shift during the 
winter but he wasn't supposed to be in that area.  The man went into the 
a prohibited area, it was his own choice and that choice of his, cost him 
his life and caused the injury of the ROK soldiers who tried to recover 
his body.

It would appear that a lawyer is trying to sensationalize something to 
draw attention away from reality.


>FYI
>
>See the news below!
>
>The legacy of the DMZ is still inflicting
>a heavy toll on Koreans.
>
>Peace,
>
>JK 
>(I will no longer use John2)
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>Troops Hurt by Land mine While Recovering Victim (KOREA)
>SEOUL, South Korea, 25 apr 02 (Reuters)--
>
>Three South Korean soldiers were hurt by a land mine on Thursday while
>trying to recover the body of a man who died, apparently from a mine, near
>the heavily fortified border with the North, the Defense Ministry said....
>
>"Three soldiers received injuries to their eyes and legs while trying to
>retrieve the body," a ministry spokesman told Reuters. "But they did not
>suffer life threatening injuries," he said...
>
>Lee Eun-yong, who was in his 50s, was found dead on Wednesday, two days
>after he left his home saying he was going to pick some herbs and entered
>into a prohibited military zone, the ministry said on Wednesday.
>Lee had been living near the DMZ for more than 30 years................
>