Integrated civil-military drill to focus on nuke attack by North

Children hold their school bags over their heads as they take part in a civil evacuation drill at the Central Government Complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on May 16. [YONHAP]

South Korea plans to conduct its first-ever integrated civil and military drill to prepare for contingencies involving a North Korean nuclear attack.

The drill is planned to be held during the Ulchi civil defense exercise in August to coincide with large-scale military drills that usually take place in the same time frame, according to an official close to the presidential office and conservative People Power Party who spoke on condition of anonymity to the JoongAng Ilbo.

The official did not specify exact details concerning the exercise, which he said was ordered by President Yoon Suk Yeol, but it is expected to include evacuation and public safety drills coordinated by local government, military and police officials.

"We are collecting opinions from various experts to decide what kinds of situations [to plan for] and the corresponding operational plans," the official said.

He added that the exercise will feature public alerts as well as air raid sirens to simulate warnings that would accompany an incoming nuclear strike by the North, as well as a discussion-based joint response exercise, commonly referred to as a table-top exercise, by related ministries and government agencies.

Previous civil air defense exercises were premised on a military attack by the North using conventional weapons or an act of terrorism featuring biological or chemical warfare.

The official noted that the new exercise's focus on an attack featuring nuclear weapons reflects the reality of the North's advancing illicit weapons programs.

Contingency planning for a nuclear strike by the North comes after the evacuation alert sent by the Seoul metropolitan government in response to North Korea's attempted launch of a space rocket on May 31 caused widespread confusion and left the capital's residents unsure of what to do in the event of an actual emergency.

The warning was also sent almost ten minutes after the launch took place at 6:32 am, prompting derision online and in the media that it would have been too late if an actual missile had been fired in the direction of Seoul.

The preparedness of the country's emergency warning system previously came under scrutiny after an alert urging residents of Ulleung Island to take shelter was sent four minutes after the North fired a short-range ballistic missile south of the inter-Korean maritime border in the East Sea in November last year.

By contrast, Japan's J-Alert system sends public warnings usually within one minute after a North Korean missile launch has been detected. J-Alert messages are delivered via mobile phone and through public broadcast and air raid siren systems.

The civil defense exercise planned for August is not the first time that the South Korean government has considered conducting a drill to prepare specifically for a North Korean nuclear attack.

The idea was previously broached during the previous Park Geun-hye administration when the Blue House and the Joint Chiefs of Staff considered instituting a comprehensive government contingency plan in the event that the North actually used nuclear weapons.

"Previous administrations have voiced concerns that training [in preparation for these kinds of situations] is needed, but my understanding is that implementation was delayed because it was feared such drills could exacerbate public inconvenience and anxiety."

BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG,PARK TAE-IN,MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]