South Korea stages nationwide defence drill

South Korea staged a nationwide civil defence drill today amid simmering tensions with the North over the sinking of a South Korean warship.

Air raid sirens blared and hundreds of thousands of South Koreans donned gas masks as Seoul’s defence chief said North Korea has bolstered its military readiness.

The defence drill was the first on a nationwide scale for possible chemical, biological and radiological attacks since 1989, the National Emergency Management Agency said.

It said the exercise was resumed in the aftermath of the ship sinking in March that South Korea blamed on Pyongyang.

“Now, North Korea is maintaining a considerably strengthened vigilance posture and as you know it’s been issuing many threats and statements through various channels,” South Korean defence minister Kim Tae-young told the National Assembly. “But there have been no serious military activities at the border and in rear areas,” he added.

The UN Security Council said it is “gravely concerned” the ship sinking could endanger peace on the peninsula and urged both Koreas to refrain from any provocative acts. A statement was issued after the council listened to separate presentations from each side, with Seoul seeking UN action to punish Pyongyang.

South Korea has taken punitive measures against North Korea, including trade restrictions, after the warship Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo in March, killing 46 sailors. North Korea denies its involvement and has warned any retaliation would trigger war, with its military threatening to turn Seoul into “a sea of flame”.

Mr Kim said South Korea is closely watching North Korea’s military because it may engage in provocative acts at any time.

At the UN Security Council meeting, South Korea made a 23-minute presentation and showed a video on the findings it reached with US, British and other foreign investigators.

North Korea repeated its stance that it had nothing to do with the sinking.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak renewed calls for international action to get North Korea to acknowledge and apologise for the ship sinking, according to the presidential office.

The two Koreas are still technically at war because their 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The sinking occurred near the tense Korean sea border – a scene of three bloody maritime battles.