SKorea conducts first civil defence drills in 6 years; Coastguard arrests man who arrived by jet ski from China

SKorea conducts first civil defence drills in 6 years; Coastguard arrests man who arrived by jet ski from China
by AFP Staff Writers
Seoul (AFP) Aug 23, 2023

Air raid sirens wailed across central Seoul on Wednesday as officials stopped cars and ordered people to head to underground shelters in South Korea's first civil defence exercise in six years.

The 20-minute drill, which began at 2:00 pm (0500 GMT), was aimed at "preparing for a quick evacuation in the event of an air raid attack such as North Korea's missile provocations", Seoul's interior ministry said.

As sirens went off across South Korea, pedestrians were instructed to move to nearby shelters or underground facilities. There are around 17,000 designated shelters across the country.

In regions closer to nuclear-armed North Korea, the government prepared a more intense drill, with chemical, biological and radiological training, including instructions for putting on a gas mask and using emergency food rations.

Participation in the drill was not mandatory, but those who took part said the training was important for raising awareness about the security situation on the Korean peninsula.

"If North Korean soldiers suddenly invade, confusion will lead to more casualties," said barista Ahn Tae-hong, adding: "That is why we must train well."

Choi In-ho, a 62-year-old travel agent, said the drill was "a bit inconvenient", but necessary.

"We are always in confrontation with North Korea, but we've become too complacent about it," he told AFP.

But for others, it was business as usual.

One user on the social media platform X wrote: "I heard the siren so I just cranked up my music louder."

The civil defence exercises were launched in 1969 following a raid by North Korean commandos into the presidential compound in Seoul, but they have been suspended since 2017 -- initially due to a thaw in relations with Pyongyang, and then because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Korea's widely read Chosun Ilbo newspaper said the resumption of the civil drills was "urgent" in the wake of various natural disasters and the growing nuclear threats from the North.

"It is no exaggeration to say that the Korean people's ability to prepare for disasters is close to '0'," the paper said in an editorial.

"How many people are aware of what to do in the event of a North Korean missile attack, earthquake or fire?"

The civil defence drills come just months after the government mistakenly sent an emergency evacuation alert across Seoul over a North Korean rocket launch, triggering widespread panic.

North Korea restarts international flights after 3 years
Beijing (AFP) Aug 22, 2023 - North Korea's first international commercial flight in three years landed in Beijing on Tuesday, as Pyongyang shows tentative signs of easing its prolonged Covid isolation.

North Korea shut its borders in early 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but there are increasing signals the country may be moving towards reopening.

Chinese and Russian officials attended a military parade in Pyongyang last month -- the first foreign dignitaries to visit the country in years.

And last week a delegation of athletes was allowed to attend a taekwondo competition in Kazakhstan.

On Tuesday, state-run Air Koryo flight JS151 arrived at Beijing's Capital Airport at around 09:15 am (0115 GMT), an arrivals board showed, having taken off at 08:30 am Pyongyang time (2330 GMT).

AFP reporters at the airport saw only two North Koreans -- recognisable by their distinctive badges bearing the faces of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il -- come through the arrival gate.

One was identified by specialist website NK News analyst Colin Zwirko as General Kim Jin, who Chinese media say has served as a military attache in Beijing.

Neither spoke to media.

Another Air Koryo flight bound for Pyongyang departed just after 1:00 pm, a tracking website showed.

The Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency published photos of a number of North Koreans lining up to check in luggage for that flight.

Approached for comment at its office in Beijing on Tuesday, a representative of Air Koryo said he had "no information" to offer.

A previously scheduled North Korean flight to Beijing on Monday was abruptly cancelled, with no official reason given.

An Air Koryo representative on Monday referred AFP reporters to North Korean ruling party newspaper the Rodong Sinmun for "accurate" information.

Asked about the flights, China's foreign ministry said that it had approved restarting commercial air travel between Beijing and Pyongyang.

"During the summer and autumn flight season... the Chinese side approved flight plans for passengers such as the Pyongyang-Beijing and Beijing-Pyongyang routes of Air Koryo," foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing on Monday.

Reports from CNN and NK News said that Air Koryo was set to carry out two flights from Russia's Vladivostok to Pyongyang on Friday and next Monday.