Seoul Metropolitan Government mistakenly sent an emergency disaster alert in the Seoul area on the 31st, causing temporary confusion among citizens.
At around 6:41 a.m. that day, Seoul City sent a message stating, "At 6:32 a.m. today, a warning alert was issued for the Seoul area. We ask all citizens to prepare for evacuation and prioritize the evacuation of children and the elderly."
However, just 20 minutes later, at around 7:03 a.m., they corrected the message, saying, "The warning alert issued by Seoul Metropolitan Government was a false alarm."
On the 31st, Seoul City mistakenly sent emergency disaster alerts in the Seoul area, causing temporary confusion among citizens.
Later, at around 7:25 a.m., the city sent another message, stating, "An emergency alert was sent due to a North Korean missile launch," and "The warning alert for the entire Seoul area has been lifted. We ask all citizens to return to their daily routines."
The false emergency alert caused confusion among citizens who were commuting. Kang (30), an office worker, said, "I was startled when I received the message on the subway," adding, "Everyone on the subway looked confused."
On online communities and various social networking services (SNS), numerous posts expressed bewilderment. Many users on an online community posted complaints such as, "They woke people up and made us worry for 20 minutes only to say it was a false alarm," and "Now, even if they say a real war is happening, can we trust the warning alerts?"
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