Seoul to hold first nationwide drills in six years amid Pyongyang threats

(Patria) - South Korea will hold its first nationwide civil defence air-raid drills in six years on Wednesday amid growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats, during which pedestrians will have to take shelter and drivers will pull over in some areas, Reuters reports.

The drills are a key element of the annual "Ulchi" civil defence exercises, held jointly with the "Ulchi Freedom Shield" exercises that South Korean and U.S. troops began on Monday, to improve responses to a North Korean attack or other contingencies.

At 2 p.m., an air-raid siren will sound, calling on people to take shelter off the streets for about 15 minutes before the alert is lifted, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. Pedestrians must go directly to a designated shelter or a nearby underground space, while drivers in about 200 areas across the country must pull over to the side of the road. People in nearly 500 supermarkets, cinemas and other public facilities will be directed to evacuate. Medical facilities and public transport will operate normally.

In some regions bordering North Korea, residents are expected to face additional scenarios, including chemical, biological and radiological training, wearing gas masks and using emergency food rations, the ministry said.

The "Ulchi" civil defence exercises were launched in 1969 after a North Korean commando attack on the presidential compound in Seoul. There are about 17,000 shelters installed across the country of 52 million people.

The air-raid drill has not been held since 2017.