Seoul's '44 Minutes of Chaos'... Citizens Awakened by Alert Messages

Commuters on the Way to Work: "Glad Nothing Happened"
"Only Told to Evacuate Without Explanation..." Concerns Raised

On the 31st, during the morning commute when a warning alert was issued in the Seoul area, citizens breathed a sigh of relief. Around 6:41 a.m., after receiving a text message saying "Prepare to evacuate," citizens hesitated on how to respond, but about 20 minutes later, they were able to relax upon receiving a message stating it was a 'false alarm.'

At around 7:25 a.m. that day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government sent an additional notification text stating, "The warning alert for all areas of Seoul has been lifted. Citizens are advised to return to their daily routines."

During the 44 minutes from the evacuation text to the return-to-normal notification, citizens experienced a period of confusion.

At around 6:32 a.m., when the warning alert was issued, office worker Mr. A, who was on Seoul Subway Line 2, said, "I was getting ready for work and had the news on, and at that time, the news screen displayed a message about the warning alert being issued. I was about to leave for work without much thought, but then I received an evacuation text on my phone."

Mr. A said, "The atmosphere inside the subway was generally calm," and added, "People were commuting as usual, and no one seemed agitated."

Another office worker, Mr. B, explained the situation, saying, "I was startled because I suddenly received a text telling me to evacuate. Fortunately, nothing happened, but since there was no guidance on how or where to go, I just had to continue on my way."

There were also citizens who woke up earlier than usual after receiving the alert text. Office worker Mr. C, who lives in the Gyeonggi area, said, "I woke up in the middle of the night, and since it was awkward to go back to sleep, I prepared for work. But shortly after, I received a message saying it was a false alarm. I was quite startled."

Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea launched what it claims to be a space launch vehicle in a southward direction that morning.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.