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ROK Scales Down Joint War Games with US
The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States started an annual computer simulation military exercise Monday, which Seoul officials said would be scaled down in the wake of a recent thaw in relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
President Kim Dae-jung told ministers on his cabinet yesterday that the event should not disrupt the recent improvement in the relationship with the DPRK. Authorities said events would accordingly be scaled down and the theme of some exercises would be changed to one of disaster prevention.
"The exercises are for peace, which needs to be based on strong security. But we should not undermine the conciliatory mood on the peninsula, which has been long awaited,'' President Kim was quoted as saying by spokesman Park Joon-young.
The official news agency of the DPRK said on Sunday the exercises between ROK and its main ally could undermine the recent improvement in relations with its neighbour.
"If the ROK authorities truly want improved North-South relations and peace on the Korean Peninsula, they should cancel the large-scale joint military drill, the purpose of which is to make preparations for a possible fight with the North,'' said the news agency.
ROK officials said this year's events and the improvement in the North-South relationship represent progress.
"We will conduct this year's drill in a way that is appropriate to the security environment on the Korean Peninsula after the inter-Korean summit,'' Lee Yoo-soo, chief of ROK's Emergency Planning Committee, told Yonhap news agency.
A ROK Ministry of National Defence spokesman said that this means fewer participants and a change in some events from a military theme to disaster prevention.
"Large-scale outdoor exercises will be cancelled and civil servants will not participate,'' said the spokesman, who declined to be identified.
He declined to give details on how many personnel would take part.
Since June, when President Kim and DPRK leader Kim Jong-il signed a joint communique calling for better relations, the two sides have made a series of conciliatory gestures.
For example, events to mark the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, held in late June, were toned down to reflect the thaw in Cold War animosity.
Last week, the two sides allowed for the reunion of families divided by the Korean War in Seoul and Pyongyang, something that has only been allowed once before.
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