AIR RAID ALERT ISSUED ON ULLEUNGDO

[Anchor Lead]

As we reported yesterday, North Korea launched ballistic missiles toward the East Sea yesterday morning as well. When one of the missiles flew toward Ulleungdo Island, an air raid alert was issued for residents of the island. The last air raid alert was issued six years and nine months ago when a North Korean missile was launched near South Korea's Baengnyeongdo and Daecheongdo Islands in 2016.

[Pkg]

An alert went off from all fourteen loudspeakers on Ulleungdo Island. North Korea's missile launch toward the East Sea has prompted the air raid alert to be issued across the island. Subsequently, evacuation orders were broadcast to all the villages.

[Soundbite] "Evacuate to large buildings and follow administrator's instructions."

The air raid alert was lifted around two o'clock in the afternoon and replaced by a security alert. It was the first air raid alert sounded in six years and nine months in the country. The last equivalent alert was issued for Baengnyeongdo and Daecheongdo Islands in 2016. It's a first for Ulleungdo Island. Residents were informed of North Korea's missile launches via their mobile phones or television. While evacuation messages were received only belatedly.

[Soundbite] Hwang Jin-yeong(Ulleungdo Resident) : "We got the news of air raid through out-of-towners and morning news. Our fear escalated greatly after that."

Seven schools of elementary, middle and high school grades in the Ulleungdo region suspended classes and evacuated their students. Passenger vessel operation was disrupted as well. For instance, a passenger ship that had left Hupo Port in Uljin at around 8:20 a.m. yesterday morning had to turn back. Fishing boats operating in the East Sea were also evacuated promptly. Major security-related tourism spots, including the Goseong Unification Observation Tower and the Cheorwon DMZ Eco Peace Park, were closed as well.

[Soundbite] Lim Yeong-sik(Geojin Yeonseung Association, Goseong-gun County) : "The Coast Guard was saying that it was an urgent situation. So we thought a war was about to break out."

The security alert prompted by the North Korean missile launch issued for Ulleungdo Island was lifted as of ten o'clock last night.