A screenshot of the emergency alert sent to residents of Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces on Tuesday night warns that unidentified objects presumably carrying North Korean propaganda leaflets have been detected, with the term "air raid" used in English. Yonhap

An abrupt emergency alert regarding North Korea's propaganda leaflets targeting South Korea left residents of Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces in a state of deep anxiety and confusion late Tuesday night.

The issuance of the emergency alert sparked a wave of controversy, not only questioning its necessity but also scrutinizing the appropriateness of the English phrasing "Air raid preliminary warning," which caused some recipients to panic.

The anxiety was particularly high as the Kim Jong-un regime has recently escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula, launching a military spy satellite the previous night.

According to Gyeonggi Province the next day, the emergency alert was sent out around 11:32 p.m. on Tuesday to 13 cities and districts within the province. It cautioned residents about unknown airborne objects that were presumed to be carrying propaganda leaflets from the North and advised them to remain indoors while reporting any discoveries to local authorities.

Alerts were also issued in Yanggu and Inje in Gangwon Province just after midnight.

The move came after the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced its detection of the objects, which were later found to be balloons. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, more than 260 such balloons were found in South Korea, some of which even made it far beyond the border regions to the Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces.

The number was the highest single-day total ever recorded compared to similar cases in 2016 and 2018. The fallen balloons contained various pieces of trash and and even animal manure, according to the South Korean military.

Critics have highlighted the confusion sparked by the use of the term "air raid," which typically refers to enemy airstrikes and bomb drops.

Foreign residents have voiced their anger and perplexity online, criticizing the use of the term. Some shared anecdotes of the extreme shock they experienced upon receiving the alert, with a few expressing they almost had heart attacks and others saying they began preparing to evacuate. Some compared it to a previous incident in which Seoul citizens received an emergency evacuation alert early in the morning of May 31, 2023, in response to a North Korean rocket launch.

According to a Gyeonggi Province official, the Capital Corps requested the provincial office to send the emergency alert around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. After an internal review, the alert was sent, with its content closely aligned with the message issued by the military.

A balloon presumably sent by North Korea carrying trash is found in a rice paddy in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

The official clarified that the English translation of the alert was generated automatically by the national disaster management information system. The term "air raid" was paired with "aircraft" from a list of optional items, reflecting the unidentified objects believed to be carrying propaganda leaflets targeting the South.

The official further explained that the selection options for the alert terminology also included ballistic missiles and reconnaissance satellites. However, aircraft was deemed the most appropriate term for describing the objects.

Questions have also arisen regarding the necessity of the emergency alert.

"I was talking to a friend on the phone and was so surprised when the alert rang. The message was quite ambiguous, making me more frightened, so I looked it up on the internet," said Yoo Seung-min, an office worker living in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

Citizens also criticized the alert message for its lack of precise information, arguing that it heightened public fear unnecessarily.

"It would have been better to specify what exactly people should be cautious about," said an office worker surnamed Kim in her 30s residing in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.

"I saw news reports about potential dangers, including the possibility of biological or chemical weapons, but the alert only mentioned unknown objects from North Korea without providing further details."

The JCS explained that the decision to issue the emergency alert was based on the potential risk to residents. They determined that falling objects could pose a significant hazard, especially if they land on roads where they could cause accidents or damage to vehicles and pedestrians at night.