Military Explosives Found in Downtown Suwon

Military Explosives Found in Downtown Suwon

Several types of military explosives powerful enough to do great damage to buildings were found in downtown Suwon. The explosives were made between 1983 and 1985. Experts say that there must be a problem with the military's management of explosive substances because officials have been unable to discover where the explosives came from. Military officials, the National Intelligence Service and the police launched a joint investigation after the explosives were brought to the Suwon offices of private news agency Newsis. A Newsis staffer said, "A middle-aged man visited office around 8:30 in the morning. He left the explosives in a paper bag, saying 'I found this in a garbage can in Suwon city.'" There were 22 explosive items in the stash, including four sticks of TNT, 14 sticks of Korean-made C4 plastic explosive, and two sticks of a U.S.-made explosive. The explosives are the type used mainly for excavation and demolition by military engineer units and special forces. They are set off by igniting a fuse, but there were no fuses attached to the items when they were found. The joint investigation team is trying to discover when the materials were made and where they came from. Information is proving difficult as the lot numbers on the explosives were removed. Authorities suspect former or current military figures may be connected with the stash. (englishnews@chosun.com )