South Korea usually conducts such drills without aircraft three times a year.
Amid continuing high tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean officials said on Monday their country will stage a major air drill this week in order to face North Korea after its last month’s artillery attack.
The National Emergency Management Agency said the drill will take place at 2:00 pm (0500 GMT) on Wednesday, with a dozen South Korean fighter jets flying across the country to simulate air strikes.
"Along with air raid sirens, people will be asked to run into some 25,000 state-managed shelters or other civilian underground facilities," agency official Yoo Byung-Koo told AFP.
"Unlike previous ones, Wednesday's drill will focus on guiding people into emergency shelters," said Yoo. "This will be the biggest exercise of its kind in many years. We hope people will take it seriously."
South Korea usually conducts such drills without aircraft three times a year. They are widely ignored by the public.
Yoo also said there would be simulated strikes by North Korea's ground artillery units in border areas.
The country has been on high alert since the North's November 23 bombardment of an island near the disputed Yellow Sea border killed four people and triggered a regional crisis.
After the attack, the first on a civilian area since the Korean War between 1950 and 1953, Seoul staged a major naval drill with the United States in a show of strength against Pyongyang.
Last week the South staged its own live-fire drills around the coast.
The National Emergency Management Agency said the drill will take place at 2:00 pm (0500 GMT) on Wednesday, with a dozen South Korean fighter jets flying across the country to simulate air strikes.
"Along with air raid sirens, people will be asked to run into some 25,000 state-managed shelters or other civilian underground facilities," agency official Yoo Byung-Koo told AFP.
"Unlike previous ones, Wednesday's drill will focus on guiding people into emergency shelters," said Yoo. "This will be the biggest exercise of its kind in many years. We hope people will take it seriously."
South Korea usually conducts such drills without aircraft three times a year. They are widely ignored by the public.
Yoo also said there would be simulated strikes by North Korea's ground artillery units in border areas.
The country has been on high alert since the North's November 23 bombardment of an island near the disputed Yellow Sea border killed four people and triggered a regional crisis.
After the attack, the first on a civilian area since the Korean War between 1950 and 1953, Seoul staged a major naval drill with the United States in a show of strength against Pyongyang.
Last week the South staged its own live-fire drills around the coast.
