South Korea holds defense drill

SEOUL, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- South Korea staged a 15-minute nationwide civil defense drill Wednesday, a response to heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, officials said.

The National Emergency Management Agency said the drill was the largest in 35 years, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

The exercise began at 2 p.m. local time with sirens alerting all South Koreans to take cover in nearby air raid shelters, subway stations or other underground facilities.

A spokesman for the agency said Wednesday's drill was the first time since 2000 mock enemy aircraft were flown and drivers were asked to park their cars when they heard the sirens.

Passengers at subway stations in Seoul were instructed on how to use gas masks during the drill.

In border areas with the north, officials learned what to do in the event of chemical, biological and radiological attacks.

South Korea technically remains at war with the North because the Korean War ended in 1953 with a truce, not a peace treaty.