Key Resolve, US-SK Annual War Exercise Starts in the Korean Peninsula on March 8 and Nationwide Protests against it, as Well

* Image source: Shin So-yeong/The Hankyoreh on March 9, 2010

'Members of Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea hold a press conference to oppose the annual joint exercise between the South Korean and U.S. militaries called Key Resolve in front of the war command post of the
Combined Forces Command located in Sungnam City, Gyeonggi Province, March 8.

Key Resolve, which began on the same day, has received intense criticism from North Korea.
The North Korean army issued a statement in which it ordered its army forces to assume a battle position
in response to the Key Resolve exercise on March 7.

Key Resolve is the name that was given to the exercise in 2008 previously known as RSOI, which stands for
Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, Integration.

The South Korea and the U.S. have called the exercise a defense drill, however,
North Korea has labeled it training for an invasion.'

* Image source: Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK)
'Let’s stop the war and blossom the flowers'

TANGO, CFC, Sungnam
(reference source: Koh Sung-Jin
image source: Cho Sung-Bong, Tongil News, March 8, 2010)

The civil society organizations including Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea,
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Korea Alliance of Progressive Movements
and Pan-Korean Alliance for Reunification (PKAR), South Korean branch, by starting with the press interview
on March 8, in front of Theater, Air, Navy, Ground Operation (TANGO), Combined Forces Command,
in Chungye Mt. Sungnam, South of Seoul, announced that, “By coming 18, we, through ‘the simultaneous anti-war & peace joint actions’ centered in the main USFK bases and cities nationwide,
including Seoul, will urge to sop the invasive war exercise, and will spread our will for the realization of peace that has been longtime wished for.”

image source: Cho Sung-Bong, Tongil News, March 8, 2010
"Let’s stop the war and blossom the flowers"

image source: Cho Sung-Bong, Tongil News, March 8, 2010

Pyeongtaek
( reference/image source: Pyeongteak Peace Center)

About 30 activists from various organizations in Pyeongteak have gathered in front of Songtan branch, Pyeongteak City Hall on March 8, to denounce the Key Resolve exercise and to urge the stop of the additional runway in the Songtan USFK. The Pyeongtaek activists pointing out that the construction for additional runway in the Songtan USFK, which is planned to be completed by 2011, is for the realization of the strategic flexibility in the Korean peninsula, appealed to Pyeongtaek citizens to stop the construction. [The activists also pointed out that the planned return of the war time operation right from the USFK to ROK military has also been conditioned under the strategic flexibility]. The participants decided that they would make the issue of runway by the coming local election on June 2.

Click the image for larger view

"Stop the Key Resolve/ Foal Eagle War exercise and
the 2nd Runway Construction in the Songtan USFK Base!"

-Leaflet distributed to the citizens in Pyeongteak on March 8-

The leaflet was made by Gyunggi-do branch, Korean Alliance for Progressive Movement,
Gyunggi-do headquarter of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and
the Pyeongtaek Area Democratic Organizations’ Council.

Incheon
( reference/image source:
Incheon branch, Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea)

The Incheon activists, having the protest in front of Incheon City Hall criticized that the Key Resolve
that has been with the advanced weapons, was not for the defense exercise but for the attack against North Korea,
and was the illegal war exercise, a violation of constitution that pursed the peaceful unification.
They also said that, if the United States and South Korea truly want the dialogue with North Korea,
both authorities of them should stop the Key Resolve war exercise,
as they had stopped the Team Spirit military training in 1994 for the talk with North Korea.
Saying that the western sea in front of Incheon is always in tension including the military clash,
they denounced the war exercise that threatened the peace and heightened tension
in the Korean peninsula.
Finally activists appealed to the citizens to abolish the US-SK war alliance with anti-war peace actions.

Chungnam-do (province)
Image source: SPARK
In front of Chungnam Province Hall (original source: Ohmynews)

Kunsan
Image source: Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK)
In front of Kunsan AFB (original source: Newsis)

Busan
Image source: Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK)
In front of the United States Consulate (original source: Voice of People)