Civil defense drill to be held Thursday

Official English poster for South Korea's civil defense drill scheduled for Thursday (Ministry of the Interior and Safety)

The annual civil defense drill is take place across South Korea on Thursday, with an air-raid alarm sounding and traffic blocked on some roads.

This year’s drill will last for 20 minutes starting at 2 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced.

The drill, designed to help people living here be prepared for possible attacks, will begin with a one-minute air-raid alarm. Pedestrians will be guided to swiftly move to nearby safe basements or shelters.

People's movements will be entirely restricted for 15 minutes, with the restrictions fully lifted after sounding an "all-clear" alarm at 2:20 p.m.

Operations of vehicles will also be halted on some roads, with traffic signals turning red for five minutes from the beginning of the drill.

In Seoul, three areas -- the road between Gwanghwamun Station and Sungnyemun, Gupabal Junction and Dobong Station Junction -- will be temporarily blocked.

Drivers in the blocked sections will be guided to park their cars on the right side of the road and receive directions through the radio inside their vehicles.

Videos with English subtitles will also be shown on billboards in 41 busy areas in Seoul, elevators and KTX trains to help people participate in the drill.