South Korea's capital Seoul is set to construct a civilian nuclear bunker beneath a public housing complex by 2028, the metropolitan government announced on Monday. The shelter, designed to withstand nuclear, biological, or chemical attacks, will serve 999 households as a safeguard against threats from North Korea.
The bunker, spanning 2,147 square metres in the basement of the housing complex, can accommodate up to 1,020 people at a time and is equipped for 14 days of survival. It is the first such initiative by a local government in response to heightened nuclear threats from the North, according to the Seoul Shinmun newspaper.
The announcement follows a massive military parade in North Korea on Friday, where it displayed its latest ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to targets in South Korea or as far as the United States. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has stated that the most realistic path to reducing risk is securing a freeze on North Korea's nuclear bomb and missile production, but Pyongyang has so far rejected diplomatic overtures.
South Korea currently has nearly 19,000 bomb shelters nationwide, with over 3,200 in Seoul. However, the vast majority are not built to protect against nuclear, chemical, or biological attacks, often located in subway stations, basements, or parking garages designated as shelters with owner consent.
