A civil defense drill is under way in Seoul, in this file photo taken May 16, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — The government will carry out a nationwide civil defense drill later this month to train people for air raid situations, the first such drill to be conducted in six years, the interior ministry said Wednesday.
The 20-minute drill, set for 2 p.m. on Aug. 23, will include civil evacuation training and traffic restrictions in an air raid attack scenario.
It is the first anti-air raid civil defense drill to be conducted since the last one in August 2017.
When a mock air raid warning siren goes off at 2 p.m., outdoor movement will be restricted nationwide for 15 minutes, and people will be required to evacuate to the nearest shelters.
Cars traveling in areas where traffic is restricted should stop and park on the right side of the road under police guidance.
Restrictions on outdoor movement will be lifted at 2:15 p.m. upon an alert warning, and all restrictions will be removed and people can go back to normal at 2:20 p.m., when the warning is lifted, according to the ministry.
The upcoming drill comes amid a growing need to train people for emergency situations.
The city of Seoul came under fire after it sent a false alarm to citizens on May 31 when North Korea launched a military spy satellite, although the city was outside of the area affected by the launch.
The country conducted an anti-air raid civil defense drill in mid-May, but it did not include an evacuation or traffic restrictions involving the general public at that time.
(Yonhap)
