Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

DPRK's army rebukes joint military exercise between U.S., South Korea

UPDATED: 07:28, March 15, 2006

A spokesman for the Korean People's Army(KPA) on Tuesday denounced the joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, saying it "has the right to preempt an attack" for self-defense.

"The KPA side is of the view that a preemptive attack is not monopoly of the U.S. and the DPRK, too, has the right to preempt an attack as the most effective and positive act for self-defense in the light of the hard reality that the DPRK and the U.S. sides are still technically at war",said the spokesman for the KPA Panmunjom Mission.

The South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command made a statement last Friday, saying the two annual exercises -- Foal Eagle and RSOI (Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration) -- are to be held on March 25-31 in South Korea.

"This behavior of the U.S. is a flagrant violation of the joint statement adopted at the six-party talks which stipulated that both sides shall solve issues on the principle of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence," the spokesman said.

In response to the drill, the DPRK decided to postpone the 18th Inter-Korea Ministerial Talks previously scheduled from March 28 to March 31.

South Korean and U.S. forces have conducted Foal Eagle since 1964 and RSOI since 1994. The two exercises have been held at the same time of year since 2002.

Source: Xinhua


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