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Suwon4AGT
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:14 am Post subject: Where were you during the evacuation drills? |
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I was teaching one of my kindy classes and knew nothing about it until several hours after it happened. I just happened to be surfing the web, caught up on some news, and I asked the office, "Uh, there were evacuation drills today?". The ladies responded, "Uh...yes there were...around 2 o'clock today".
It's nice to know that my school is woefully unprepared. I hate to say it, but it's this realization that struck me harder than any actual attack or event. No one truly knows the likelihood of an attack, but I'm certain that the ROK is nowhere near ready to handle such an event (I'm sure a few of you are asking me whether I've been sleeping under a rock
It's this unpreparedness, by the SKs, the governments involved on both sides that has me most nervous. I'm not sure what to do about it, other than to keep a suitcase and/or a bug-out bag ready to roll. But I'm no expert in this survivalist stuff and I'm wondering if I should cut my losses and head out. Basically, I'm trying to figure out that "threshold point", where it's no longer worth the risk.
Would anyone care to chime in? I'm sure everyone here has given this at least some thought. |
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amnsg2
Joined: 15 Aug 2010 Location: Gumi
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:39 am Post subject: |
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I was on my way to school, which is on the main street of my town and these guys in yellow jackets just waved us all into a shopping centre. If that's the plan in case of emergency, then we're basically all going to die
But actually, the unpreparedness makes me less nervous if anything. If they seriously believed we were at risk from air raids,I think it would be a lot better organised than stopping traffic, clearing the pavements and ringing alarms for 20 minutes while people just went on with their day ignoring them. |
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AsiaESLbound
Joined: 07 Jan 2010 Location: Truck Stop Missouri
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:41 am Post subject: |
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We had that at 1:55 to 2:15 where they got weird on us via speakers in the ceilings. I knew what was going on. Thank you to the one thread titled something like, "don't soil your underwear this Wednesday." One maniac guy was yelling into the microphone sounding aggressive, angry, and upset, but put on a fighting attitude. I caught the gist it was a time for a little tough talk in preparation to deal with a very bad situation in the event their other half continues to step over the fine line.
I was just starting my 1st and 2nd grade after school class, they got noisy, acted weird, and ran around aimlessly. My co-teacher just said to blast a movie at max volume instead of trying to do anything else as we could barely hear ourselves talking. It worked to an extent, but the going to war battle speech was really loud and way over the little one's head though confusing them. I feel they poorly plan things over here. Like it's 4:10pm 2 hours later, we are told to wait 10 minutes outside in the cold so a man can spray gamgi killer fog that's very bad for us to breath. He starts early not allowing us a last minute to get out. Why not wait until later to do a war speech when the little kids gone? Why not wait until 4:30 to fog when they know we finish then? Why wait until the last minute on important things and then often prematurely start earlier than told causing even more bungled mistakes? |
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Lost500
Joined: 24 Jul 2010
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:13 am Post subject: |
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Just like the last uhhh rehearsal (?) I was sat in a taxi. The chap kindly stopped the meter which is always appreciated.
The idea that all traffic will stop is bizarre! Everyone will certainly floor it to head home. This will cause chaos & uncountable hit & runs, the whole thing is odd but this is Korea.
Wonder if those across the border partake in such activities. Hmmm |
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highstreet
Joined: 13 Nov 2010
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:08 am Post subject: |
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I walked out of my building and nobody was out on the streets. Kept walking and there were four older men wearing gas masks. I thought we were done for, but they didnt say anything to me. So just kept walking.
Then a bunch of people came storming out of this bank.
Odd way to start the day. |
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Slowmotion
Joined: 15 Aug 2009
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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I was at home, didn't hear anything, at all except like 2 helicopters fly over. I thought I was supposed to hear jets and stuff lol |
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Steelrails

Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:13 pm Post subject: Re: Where were you during the evacuation drills? |
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Suwon4AGT wrote: |
I was teaching one of my kindy classes and knew nothing about it until several hours after it happened. I just happened to be surfing the web, caught up on some news, and I asked the office, "Uh, there were evacuation drills today?". The ladies responded, "Uh...yes there were...around 2 o'clock today".
It's nice to know that my school is woefully unprepared. I hate to say it, but it's this realization that struck me harder than any actual attack or event. No one truly knows the likelihood of an attack, but I'm certain that the ROK is nowhere near ready to handle such an event (I'm sure a few of you are asking me whether I've been sleeping under a rock
It's this unpreparedness, by the SKs, the governments involved on both sides that has me most nervous. I'm not sure what to do about it, other than to keep a suitcase and/or a bug-out bag ready to roll. But I'm no expert in this survivalist stuff and I'm wondering if I should cut my losses and head out. Basically, I'm trying to figure out that "threshold point", where it's no longer worth the risk.
Would anyone care to chime in? I'm sure everyone here has given this at least some thought. |
Remember this- in any artillery barrage one spot is probably as good as the next. You could be out in the middle and have everything blow up around you and you could be in some bomb shelter that takes a direct hit and caves in.
Also, the ROK cannot maintain a state of constant Full on Alert 24-7-365. Even during a drill it wasn't at full alert. Having your country at full on alert is costly and diplomatically troublesome. Nations are allowed to attack first and have it be called "defensive" if they can point to a buildup across the border.
Quote: |
But actually, the unpreparedness makes me less nervous if anything. If they seriously believed we were at risk from air raids,I think it would be a lot better organised than stopping traffic, clearing the pavements and ringing alarms for 20 minutes while people just went on with their day ignoring them. |
EXACTLY
This wasn't an Israeli style "grab your gas mask" style of drill. It was a nationwide, make sure you know what the alarm sounds like and where the local bomb shelter is drill. It's the same as duck and cover in the 50s.
Another big point is that you want the kids semi-relaxed when it happens. This helps that.
You know what Sports Day is? Another version of this. If you'll notice, during your evacuations your school will march in the same order as in Sports Day. The reason Sports Day features a bunch of marching and standing in line is so that if something happens the school tells the kids "It's just like Sports Day" |
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nomad-ish

Joined: 08 Oct 2007 Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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i was on my way to a workshop, but decided to rush home for the drill instead of getting stuck outside or on a bus waiting for it to end. although in retrospect, i'm curious if/where they'd evacuate people in my neighbourhood. |
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balzor

Joined: 14 Feb 2009
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 3:44 pm Post subject: Re: Where were you during the evacuation drills? |
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Steelrails wrote: |
Suwon4AGT wrote: |
I was teaching one of my kindy classes and knew nothing about it until several hours after it happened. I just happened to be surfing the web, caught up on some news, and I asked the office, "Uh, there were evacuation drills today?". The ladies responded, "Uh...yes there were...around 2 o'clock today".
It's nice to know that my school is woefully unprepared. I hate to say it, but it's this realization that struck me harder than any actual attack or event. No one truly knows the likelihood of an attack, but I'm certain that the ROK is nowhere near ready to handle such an event (I'm sure a few of you are asking me whether I've been sleeping under a rock
It's this unpreparedness, by the SKs, the governments involved on both sides that has me most nervous. I'm not sure what to do about it, other than to keep a suitcase and/or a bug-out bag ready to roll. But I'm no expert in this survivalist stuff and I'm wondering if I should cut my losses and head out. Basically, I'm trying to figure out that "threshold point", where it's no longer worth the risk.
Would anyone care to chime in? I'm sure everyone here has given this at least some thought. |
Remember this- in any artillery barrage one spot is probably as good as the next. You could be out in the middle and have everything blow up around you and you could be in some bomb shelter that takes a direct hit and caves in.
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actually, being in a bomb shelter or in a subway tunnel would be better as it would take a direct hit( lower odds) to get you whereas if you are in the street and if hits near you, you will have debris and shrapnel from several angles, not to mention hordes of people scrambling and maybe cars swerving and trying to get out. I personally will just stay in my apart and sit it out. |
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erasmus
Joined: 11 Sep 2010
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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I was playing magnetic darts with the science teacher and maintenance guy in the library. The grade 3 students were in there, too, reading quietly. The lack of concern was absolute. |
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superNET
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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What evacuation drill? We had a test all day and you know that nothing stops a test here.
I figure that if the North attacks, South Korean officials will give the Northern soldiers a test, which will halt all activites of the invasion while they write it; giving the South a chance to wipe out the invading army.  |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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superNET wrote: |
What evacuation drill? We had a test all day and you know that nothing stops a test here.
I figure that if the North attacks, South Korean officials will give the Northern soldiers a test, which will halt all activites of the invasion while they write it; giving the South a chance to wipe out the invading army.  |
LOL! I don't care who you are...that's funny.
All my classes have been canceled for the entire week due to said tests which is why that hit home.
I still have to be here though...apparently my desk gets lonely if I'm not. Oh well there are worse things than desk-warming. |
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winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:08 pm Post subject: Re: Where were you during the evacuation drills? |
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Remember this- in any artillery barrage one spot is probably as good as the next. You could be out in the middle and have everything blow up around you and you could be in some bomb shelter that takes a direct hit and caves in. |
Yea but standing out in the open and you've got to deal with debris, flak and shockwaves. Meaning you'll be ripped to shreds and or go deaf.
At least in a bomb shelter, you won't have glass flying at your throat
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Also, the ROK cannot maintain a state of constant Full on Alert 24-7-365. Even during a drill it wasn't at full alert. Having your country at full on alert is costly and diplomatically troublesome. Nations are allowed to attack first and have it be called "defensive" if they can point to a buildup across the border. |
Where the hell did you learn IR?
It's not called defensive, it's called "Preemptive Strike". And generally no, nations can't attack each other calling it 'Defensive' unless diplomacy completely fails. And even when you do a "Preemptive Strike" there's certain steps you need to go through or you'll be hit with sanctions and or a UN backed intervention. War doesn't happen at the drop of a hat even when Columbia went as far as blowing up a FARC camp in Ecuador. Despite all the war rhetoric that was pouring out of Ecuador and Venezuela. It never happened..
Even when the US invaded Iraq, thy needed a UN mandate or it's against international law. And even Israel needs to get an okay from regional players if they don't want sanctions |
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Steelrails

Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:49 pm Post subject: Re: Where were you during the evacuation drills? |
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Yea but standing out in the open and you've got to deal with debris, flak and shockwaves. Meaning you'll be ripped to shreds and or go deaf.
At least in a bomb shelter, you won't have glass flying at your throat |
Yes but what I'm saying is that you can be in a bomb shelter and a misfortunate strike and you're all dead, likewise you can be out in the open (riskier for sure) and still make it. If they were bombarding Seoul for no reason other than to inflict damage, then yeah its all going to be kinda random.
Obviously take cover, but there is only so much you can do.
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It's not called defensive, it's called "Preemptive Strike". And generally no, nations can't attack each other calling it 'Defensive' unless diplomacy completely fails. |
Which it would. The massing of forces across a border permits the other nation to act.
I'm not saying that anything would happen, but the Norks would probably use it as an excuse to pull a few stunts that would cause grief (although probably not war), hence why SK can't be on full alert 365, to say nothing of the costs and long-term decline in performance. |
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superNET
Joined: 08 Dec 2010
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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LOL! I don't care who you are...that's funny.
All my classes have been canceled for the entire week due to said tests which is why that hit home. |
glad you liked it |
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