People living along the heavily-armed border with North Korea were given instructions on Monday what to do in case of an emergency or attack from the North.

Officials in Goyang just north of Seoul passed out 50,000 manuals with instructions and maps showing air raid shelters in underground parking lots scattered throughout the town. City officials also posted them at bus stops.

The manuals, guided by the National Emergency Management Agency, also contain detailed instructions on what do to in the event of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons attacks as well as advice about which items to have on hand at home and the proper use of gas masks and fire extinguishers.

Paju and Y eoncheon also printed between 10,000 to 20,000 similar manuals and passed them out to residents.

Officials in the border cities said they decided to pass out the information after concerns grew among residents over continued threats from North Korea. But there has been no hoarding of daily necessities in those cities.

