Who is afraid of the activists against the war exercise?

* Image Source*

1. Tongil News (meaning Unification News)
http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=83320

2, 3. Tongil News, photo by Cho, Sung-Bong
http://www.tongilnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=83332

4, 5. Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) http://www.spark946.org/bugsboard/index.php?BBS=s_news&action=viewForm&uid=2147&page=1

6. No base stories of Korea

* 3 & 6 are photos of the Ohyun-ri people and activists whose banner and signs say, "Stop the Expansion of the Mugeon-ri Military Training Fields"


According to the Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK) site, the progressive media, Tong-il news had an interesting article introducing the USFK site which told to its soldiers not to go near the War Museum where there was the activists’ rally against the Key/Resolve war exercise (March 9 to 20) on March 14.

About 300 students, workers and activists gathered for the rally against the Key Resolve/ Foal Eagle Exercise in front of the War museum, across the buildings of the Ministry of the National Defense, Republic of Korea, in Yongsan, Seoul on March 14.

The activists from the Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK), the Jinbo Korea (Korean Alliance for Progressive Movement), the Democratic Labor party, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions were among them. They were joined by the Ohyun-ri people who have been holding the daily candle light vigil every night since last August against the expansion of the Mugeon-ri military training fields and Pan-Korean Committee against the Expansion of the Mugeon-ri Military Training Fields. In another place, in front of the U.S. embassy, seven university students were arrested while protesting against the Key resolve war exercise.


The activists said that the Key Resolve was not the annual defense training as told but obviously the preemptive strike training against the North Korea, which was for the 3rd stage of the Operation plan 5027: Occupation of Pyeongyang and regime collapse.


According to them, the Operation plan 5027 has 5 stages:

1st stage: Deployment of rapid deterrence force (FDO) from the United States

2nd stage: Destruction of the strategic targets of the North Korea

3rd stage: Forwarding to the North and massive landing operation

4th stage: Occupation of the North Korea and establishment of the military control

5th stage: Unification of Korea by force



The Key Resolve exercise is done largely in two parts

Exercise of the R(reception)-S(stage)-O(onward movement)-I(Integration) by the United States Force and exercise of the mobilization, support by the South Korean military force

* The North Korea has announced that they would prohibit the South Korean civil airplanes flying on the territory of the North Korea during the US-SK Key Resolve war exercise, March 9 to 20. It was one of the international news. Thanks to the activists, I have become to know why. The SK civil airplanes were also used in the war exercise. Some of them were carrying the U. S. soldiers participating in the war exercise, which has been never, so very unusual. The reason was seldom reported in any media.*


The activists claim that the war exercise violates:

1. Constitution of the Republic of Korea that promotes peaceful unification of Korea and international peace, denying the aggressive war

2. International law supported by the U.N. General Assembly on Dec. 14, 1974

3. Status Of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the United States and the South Korea, which abstains the forceful threat and supports the mutual negotiation.



- The Cost paid by the South Korea for the US-SK Joint Military Exercises and for the United States Forces of Korea-

* The original won was converted to the dollar unit: approximately 1$=1,500 won on March 14, 2009.

Content : Cost
Key Resolve(March), Eulji Focus(August) war exercise: $ 8.7 million/ 5 years (2001 to 2005)

Usage of the Key Resole mock war game center: $3.1 million/ a year (2008)

Various US-SK joint military exercise: Uncountable (Expected to be very high)

Defense budget share for the USFK (Special Measure Agreement: SMA): $0.47 billion/ a year

Import of the U.S. made weapons: $ 0.7 billion/ a year

Indirect cost such as the real estate: $ 6.7billion/ a year

* USFK Relocation : about $10 billion (Total cost is about $11billion)

* The South Koreans’ cost share for the USFK Relocation is 94.2%.

(Source: Democratic Labor Party, www.kdlp.org, published on March 13, 2009)

The activists compare the high cost above to the South Korean government’s oil cost which it has to support the North Korea following the negotiation of the six party talk. It’s oil support cost to the NK is merely $1.3 million to $10 million a year.

* Related site*

http://spark946.org/bugsboard/index.php?BBS=s_news&action=viewForm&uid=2148&page=1
Photos: The people of Ohyun-ri cry, “Stop the War exercise!”

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