DFA raises Alert Level 1 in South Korea

April 2, 2013 12:30pm



The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised the alert level in South Korea to one after North Korea announced it was entering into a state of war against the South.

DFA Spokesman Raul Hernandez told Unang Hirit's Arnold Clavio that alert level one meant that the Filipinos in South Korea — numbering over 40,000 — were already informed about the situation and were urged to be prepared for any situtation.

North Korea, after coming under international sanctions for its nuclear test, announced on Saturday that it was entering a "state of war" with South Korea.

A report of the Reuters news agency said few believe North Korea will risk starting a full-out war.

The two Koreas have been in a technical state of war because their 1950-53 conflict ended under an armistice and not a peace treaty, although Pyongyang earlier in March declared the truce no longer valid.

Five to seven Pinoys in North Korea



Meanwhile, Hernandez said their figures show that there are five to seven Filipinos in North Korea but they did not know if they were still residing there or have already returned to the Philippines.

He said alert level three will merit a relocation of Filipinos to unaffected areas while level four will involve mandatory repatriation.

He added that the Philippine embassy in South Korea is ready to roll out their contingency plan if a full-blown war erupts between the two Koreas.

However, he assured that the overall situation in South Korea remains normal and calm.

Toned down?



Meanwhile, a Reuters news agency report on Tuesday said North Korea's leader appeared to tone down its hostile rhetoric after threatening war with the United States and South Korea.

In a key speech published on Tuesday, North Korea's Kim Jong-un implied that the isolated country was shifting its focus to development.

Pyongyang has launched relentless verbal attacks and threats against the United States and South Korea since new U.N. sanctions punishing it for its February nuclear test were adopted and during military drills by the South and U.S. forces.

But the speech delivered on Sunday by Kim Jong-un focused on how nuclear capability supported economic development although it accused the United States of seeking to drag North Korea into an arms race in a bid to hinder its economic improvement.

"It is on the basis of a strong nuclear strength that peace and prosperity can exist and so can the happiness of people's lives," Kim said in the speech delivered to the central committee meeting of the ruling Workers Party of Korea and published in full on Tuesday.

The United States is taking North Korea's threat seriously, a report of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) said on Saturday.

The White House said it took a new warning from North Korea that it was in a state of war with South Korea seriously, but said Pyongyang's threats were following a familiar pattern.

Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said, "We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies." - Andrei Medina, VVP, GMA News