By These civil defense drills are actually quite common in Korea, but I guess this one was big enough to draw the attention of the international media:
Air raid sirens blared as hundreds of thousands of South Koreans donned gas masks Tuesday in a nationwide civil defense drill, as Seoul’s defense chief said North Korea has bolstered its military readiness amid tensions over the sinking of a South Korean warship.
Although both Koreas have exchanged harsh rhetoric and increased their military vigilance in recent weeks, Seoul officials have said it is unlikely renewed tension would lead to all-out war.
The defense drill was the first on a nationwide scale for possible chemical, biological and radiological attacks since 1989, the National Emergency Management Agency said. It said the exercise was resumed in the aftermath of the ship sinking in March that South Korea blamed on North Korea.
“Now, North Korea is maintaining a considerably strengthened vigilance posture and as you know it’s been issuing many threats and statements through various channels,” South Korean Defense Minster Kim Tae-young told the National Assembly on Tuesday. “But there have been no serious military activities at the border and in rear areas.”
The U.N. Security Council said late Monday it is “gravely concerned” the ship sinking could endanger peace on the peninsula and urged both Koreas to refrain from any provocative acts. A statement was issued after the council listened to separate presentations from each side, with Seoul seeking U.N. action to punish Pyongyang. [Associated Press]
10:23 am on June 15th, 2010 1
Korea has been doing civil defense drills since the war. Very few South Koreans take them seriously. The only difference with this one was it was designated as a bio-chem drill; something they haven't done in over 20 years. Still not a big deal to most Koreans.
I was inside an office building when the siren went off at 1400 hrs yesterday. No one paid much notice or did anything different. The population isn't supplied with masks and suits, so what are they supposed to do?
Hundreds of sets of NBC gear have been stolen from USFK troops cars over the years. I bet if the thieves every tried to use it in an emergency, they would end up suffocating themselves.
If North Korea can level Seoul with conventional artillery, why would they bother to contaminate it with chemicals and germs which would make it much more difficult for their own troops to get through?
I know they make a big deal about it to make the public believe they have a plan and are prepared to protect them, but face it, few people believe the hype of civil defense drills. Even as a 6 year old first grader, I never believed that hiding under my desk would protect me from a single bomb that could crush the city.
12:03 pm on June 15th, 2010 2
Where can I get a gas mask on the black market (or otherwise)?
12:21 pm on June 15th, 2010 3
The international media notices these defense drills whenever it wants to sensationalize the North-South relations. I don't know how they do it, but they always manage to find soldiers donning gas masks.
12:27 pm on June 15th, 2010 4
It has been about 30 years since I had my army training so I am a little rusty on the details, but how far south of Seoul would you have to go before you could take off the gas mask? This assumes, of course, that the artillery blasts, collapsing buildings, radiation, missiles, North Korean troops, chemical/biological agents in contact with the skin, etc., don't kill you first.
My plan is to strike out on foot toward Pusan, if able to do so. When could I take off the mask?
2:41 pm on June 15th, 2010 5
Personally, I don't think conventional artillery alone is enough to level Seoul. Seoul, and by large extent, the whole of Gyeonggi-do, is a very wide battlefield in military terms, and conventional artillery's killing field is rather small compared to bombs or cruise and ballistic missiles. DPRK's artillery will need to be accompanied by chemical and biological rounds to achieve conceivable military effect enough to affect the length of the war, given the military power disparity between the North and South now, particularly when the guns are very imprecise at the range they have to fire across.
2:47 pm on June 15th, 2010 6
@Mikesaw
The farthest reaching North Korean artillery has between 40~60km of maximum range. North Korean ballistic missiles require 1 hour to reload after the first launch which requires 30 minutes of preparation. Assuming South Korea's vastly superior air force, naval force, submarine force, tank force, self-propelled artillery, self-propelled AAA, amphibious forces, and mechanized infantry stop NK's advance before DPRK forces are able to break through the DMZ a significant distance, you'll probably be safe from concentrated mass fire by the time you arrive at Gangnam area (south of the Han River), but not from sporadic ballistic missile attacks.
5:37 pm on June 15th, 2010 7
Much ado about nothing.
Move along, nothing to see here.
12:15 pm on June 16th, 2010 8
Yeah, Seoul will look like Sarajevo if the north fired conventional artillery at it, but it would not be a big rubble pile. Of course, if the wind's blowing the wrong direction during a chemical strike, you'll have to go alot further south than Gangnam to avoid the downwind hazard. But…like Leon says, probably much ado about nothing.