North Korea’s satellite launch triggers false evacuation alert in Seoul

The message on the watch says that the warnings were sent in error. [Photo by Yonhap]

North Korea launched a space vehicle carrying its military reconnaissance satellite, triggering South Korea to send emergency alerts on Wednesday.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said in a press release that it issued alerts to inform the residents of Baengnyeong Island and Daecheong Island to evacuate. The projectile was launched from North Korea southward.

South Korea issues warning alerts when an attack from hostile entities is imminent or in progress.

In response to the North’s launch, the Seoul Metropolitan Government issued an alert at 6:43 a.m. via a text message, telling its residents to prepare for evacuation. The city, however, sent another message at 7:03 a.m., saying that the warnings were sent in error as Seoul does not belong to the regions in danger.

At 7:25 a.m., Seoul sent a message, saying that “a message warning of the North’s launch of a space vehicle has been sent and the emergency alert issued in Seoul has been lifted.”

The ministry told reporters via text message at 8 a.m. that “the correction was not a request from the ministry.”

It noted that both the ministry and local municipalities can send alert messages and Seoul is responsible for the false message.

South Korea has issued a total of 15 air-raid alarms and warning alerts to threats since 1983.

The latest alert before Wednesday was issued in November 2022 when North Korea launched its intercontinental ballistic missile over the northern limit line (NLL).

The alert issued in Baengnyeong Island was the first aid-raid alarm issued in more than seven years since February 2016 when Pyongyang launched a long-term missile.