S. Korean activists urge calling off military exercises with U.S.

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A group of South Korean peace activists on Monday urged calling off the country's joint military exercises with the United States scheduled to be held later this month.

"The Korean Peninsula is now again at the crossroads of war and peace. The stop of South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises could be a decisive step in preventing war and opening a door to dialogue again," the Korea Peace Appeal, which organized the peace rally, said in a statement.

The activists shouted for peace during the rally, staged in front of the presidential office in Seoul, where the defense ministry is also headquartered.

"This extremely dangerous show of force, which raises a possibility for military conflict, will just end up in a disaster," said the Korea Peace Appeal, which is composed of hundreds of civic and religious groups in South Korea as well as dozens of overseas anti-war groups.

The organizer called on the governments of South Korea and the United States to ease military tensions and make all-out efforts to prevent armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise between the two allies, a summertime joint military exercise involving large-scale field maneuvers, was slated to be held from Aug. 21 to 31, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The annually held military exercises this year will reportedly involve about 30 field maneuvers, compared to 13 conducted last year.