Air Raid Drill
Today at 2pm, we heard the air raid sirens screaming through the air. It would be exactly like a page out of Anne Frank's Diary if not for the fact that I had already heard this siren one time too many. The South Koreans hold an air raid drill on the 15th of every month and since I arrived here, I have heard it a few times while walking on the university street to class and because nobody around me stopped or started running so I didn't treat it as a big deal.
But I read here that today's 20-minute nationwide simulation drill should be taken seriously and that this was the first time since year 2000 that citizens were actually guided to the shelters during the drills. I even received an SMS from the National Crisis Center!
Last month when I heard the air raid sirens after the Yeonpyeong attacks, I asked my Korean friend what are we actually supposed to do if North Korea suddenly launches an attack. He said, go to the basement.
So that's what we did today. After the first siren, everybody in the lab actually got off their butts and started walking down to the basement of our engineering building. Usually I know that the yoga/ diet dance classes are held in the basement but little did I know it had a double purpose as an air raid shelter! =_='''
Many of the students from our building and even some professors were already gathered down in the basement. I guess not all the people in the building had come down cos exam week is on and I don't see how if an attack were really launched, how would everybody be able to fit in that narrow corridor! Well maybe they would open the classrooms... but how about food? And I saw some girls bringing flashlights... oh suddenly I felt that I am so ill-equipped with knowledge on how to survive if a real attack situation really occurs... =_=''' and most of the Korean guys I know would already be off to serve their national duty in times of war... really felt a bit scared just now.
Just hope that everything will be alright... and even after I leave this country after a year I still hope North Korea never launches an attack on South Korea and all my friends here will be safe. :-)
But I read here that today's 20-minute nationwide simulation drill should be taken seriously and that this was the first time since year 2000 that citizens were actually guided to the shelters during the drills. I even received an SMS from the National Crisis Center!
Last month when I heard the air raid sirens after the Yeonpyeong attacks, I asked my Korean friend what are we actually supposed to do if North Korea suddenly launches an attack. He said, go to the basement.
So that's what we did today. After the first siren, everybody in the lab actually got off their butts and started walking down to the basement of our engineering building. Usually I know that the yoga/ diet dance classes are held in the basement but little did I know it had a double purpose as an air raid shelter! =_='''
Many of the students from our building and even some professors were already gathered down in the basement. I guess not all the people in the building had come down cos exam week is on and I don't see how if an attack were really launched, how would everybody be able to fit in that narrow corridor! Well maybe they would open the classrooms... but how about food? And I saw some girls bringing flashlights... oh suddenly I felt that I am so ill-equipped with knowledge on how to survive if a real attack situation really occurs... =_=''' and most of the Korean guys I know would already be off to serve their national duty in times of war... really felt a bit scared just now.
Just hope that everything will be alright... and even after I leave this country after a year I still hope North Korea never launches an attack on South Korea and all my friends here will be safe. :-)
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