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Echoes of Cold War: S. Korean civilians continue drills for an unseen war
Fire trucks move during a mock air raid drill along Sejong-daero in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Park Ung
Since 1950-53 Korean War, remaining on war footing is way of life
At 2 p.m. Wednesday, an air raid siren pierced through the midday quiet at Seoul City Hall. The siren was followed by a public broadcast from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which announced the immediate start of a nationwide air raid drill.
Minutes later, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon left his sixth-floor office and moved to a fortified, bunker-like underground control center. The facility is designed to monitor and manage emergency situations for the capital’s population of over 9.3 million.
On a large screen, a simulated wartime scenario was being managed, showing scenes of vehicles being cleared from the busy Sejong-daero thoroughfare and civilians being evacuated at Lotte World Mall in southern Seoul.
The drill served to highlight how South Korea maintains its state of readiness in the face of persistent military threats, decades after fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War that was halted with a ceasefire agreement. The 20-minute nationwide civil defense drill was conducted as part of the annual Ulchi exercise, a government-led program designed to prepare the country for wartime emergencies and other national crises.
Staff take shelter in an evacuation facility during a mock air raid drill at Government Complex Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
As the drill began, people were instructed to head to one of over 17,000 designated shelters, such as subway stations and underground parking lots. At 2:15 p.m., a warning alert allowed them to leave with caution, and the drill ended five minutes later with an all-clear signal.
This year’s drill focused on clearing paths for emergency vehicles. The National Fire Agency conducted training on 246 routes across the country, mainly on busy roads and hard-to-access areas like traditional markets.
The origins of modern civil defense can be traced to World War II, as nations developed official protocols to safeguard civilians from air raids. In South Korea, the first civil defense headquarters was established in January 1951, during the Korean War.
A more comprehensive system was later formalized with the enactment of the Framework Act on Civil Defense and the formation of a nationwide civil defense corps in 1975. This development happened amid heightened security concerns in the region, particularly following the conclusion of the Vietnam War and the communist victory.
Employees and customers evacuate under guidance during a mock air raid drill at a supermarket in Busan, Wednesday. Yonhap
With the launch of the corps, training became mandatory for Korean men. Those aged 20 to 40 who have completed both active-duty service and eight years of reserve duty are assigned to annual civil defense training, with the format varying depending on how long they’ve been in the system. As of last year, some 3.28 million Koreans were registered as civil defense personnel.
Reactions to South Korea’s civil defense training are divided. Some critics dismiss the exercises as a perfunctory routine, while others regard them as a crucial component of emergency preparedness. Despite these differing views, there is a broad consensus on the value of a nationwide annual drill.
“Learning CPR during training felt genuinely useful, but the rest didn’t seem very meaningful,” Son Jae-hyuk, 36, now in his fourth year of civil defense duty, told The Korea Times.
Son said he completed online video training during the COVID-19 pandemic but remembered little of it. Even the in-person session he attended in his first year felt pointless, as the district mayor gave a speech that had little practical relevance.
Police control traffic on Sejong-daero in central Seoul during a mock air raid drill, Wednesday. Yonhap
Still, Son acknowledged the value of conducting a nationwide drill that involves the broader public.
Lee Deok-young, 68, offered more detailed reasons why it was needed.
“Civil defense training isn’t just about preparing for war with North Korea. It also helps us respond to natural disasters like earthquakes,” Lee said. “Just hearing the siren and practicing how to reach a shelter can be crucial in a real emergency.”
Lee added that it may feel inconvenient to stop everything and seek shelter when the siren sounds, but that experience is essential.
“I believe experiencing what it’s like to follow government instructions in that moment is what really matters (because that experience can help people respond more effectively in an actual crisis).”