Falling US satellite sparks emergency phone alert in South Korea

A file photo of a woman wearing face mask holding her smartphone in the snow in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The country’s Ministry of Science and ICT sent a nationwide alert that “some debris from a falling US satellite may crash near the Korean peninsula” at around lunchtime. — AP

South Koreans, used to getting mobile phone alerts warning of earthquakes or Covid outbreaks, received a more unusual notification Monday (Jan 9) morning, cautioning of danger from above.

The country’s Ministry of Science and ICT sent a nationwide alert that “some debris from a falling US satellite may crash near the Korean peninsula” at around lunchtime. “Please be careful when going out during that time.”