Cancel the combined Republic of Korea (ROK)-US-Japanese preemptive attack exercises against North Korea that reverse the establishment of the peace regime on the Korean peninsula!

The “Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration” (RSOI) and “Foal Eagle” (FE) military exercises are being conducted March 25-31.

The RSOI and FE exercises aim to train soldiers in the process of projecting and deploying US armed forces and equipment on Okinawa, Guam, Hawaii, and the US mainland for a possible emergency on the Korean peninsula.

It is known that about 20,000 US service members, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, some Stryker brigades, and combined ROK land, sea, and air forces will participate in the exercises.

We are carefully watching these exercises because they are ROK-US-Japanese exercises aimed at North Korea.

Not only will they result in an exhausting North-South confrontation and increase the danger of war on the Korean peninsula, but they also violate the ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

We expect that the cancellation of the exercises would have a major impact on inter-Korean military confidence-building and elimination of the hostile confrontation between the two sides in Northeast Asia.

Therefore we state our position as follows, as we hold a joint protest simultaneously in South Korea, Iwakuni, etc.

The RSOI and FE exercises are ROK-US-Japanese preemptive attack exercises aimed at North Korea, according to the doctrine of “strategic flexibility”, not the routine “annual defense exercises” which the ROK-US military authorities claim they are.

We conclude that these are preemptive attack exercises.  First of all, these exercises are command post exercises (CPX) and field training exercises, conducted in accordance with the Operational Plan (O-Plan) 5027-04, which aims at the collapse of the North Korean regime and creation of the preconditions for reunification through the annihilation of the North Korean forces.

Second, in these exercises, typical offensive military forces, the US “Kitty Hawk” aircraft carrier, and the Stryker brigades are participating, which are capable of rapid, precision strikes and long-distance operations.

The ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) provides the greatest possible capability by moving troops through Pyeongtaek and Gwangsang.

Furthermore, they are conducting combined war exercises using Pyeongtaek and the area near the de-militarized zone (DMZ) to acquire a military foothold against North Korea, in order to strike directly the North Korean strategic facilities, such as nuclear weapons, missiles, and command systems.

In particular, the US mobilized the US Forces in Japan (USFJ) in Iwakuni, Yokosuka, and Zama, just after the US conducted a joint US-Japan command post exercise, Keen Eagle, which regards North Korea and China as potential enemies.

Therefore, we assume that all RSOI and FE exercises are virtually joint ROK-US-Japanese preemptive attack exercises directed against North Korea.

Consequently we strongly denounce the ROK-US military authorities’ false claim that the RSOI and FE exercises are defensive exercises, to deter a North Korean attack, and we demand that the ROK-US-Japanese military authorities cancel these exercises and withdraw the involved troops and equipment from the Korean peninsula.

The main reason why we are opposed to RSOI and FE is that these exercises force South-North confrontation and increase the danger of war, so that it sets back the creation of a peace regime on the Korean peninsula.

According to the terms of the Wartime Host Nation Support Agreement and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, the ROK is prepared to put the total military, governmental, and civilian infrastructure at the disposal of the US during the time of the exercises and to share the costs of the exercises.

This kind of war exercises directed against North Korea, mobilizing all the country’s resources, will certainly damage North-South rapprochement and provoke an exhausting military confrontation.

This is because North Korea rejects all inter-Korean dialogue during the exercises and has suspended the cabinet-level meeting which is supposed to be held at the end of March.

RSOI and FE are not only an obstacle to the development of North-South relations, but also might become the spark that sets off a real war.

We observe that Pyeongyang puts North Korea on a war footing whenever the RSOI and FE exercises (the largest military exercises in the world) are conducted.

We firmly believe that the US and subservient ROK military authorities are the main culprits guilty of provoking the increasing danger of war, because they enforce the exercises, despite the Ministry of Reunification’s request for the suspension of the exercises.

We strongly urge the ROK-US authorities to cancel the “’06 RSOI and FE” exercises and contribute to the creation of the peace regime.

We also urge the cancellation of the exercises because RSOI and FE even violate the unequal MDT.

The ROK-US Combine Forces Command, established on the basis of the MDT, has made Operational Plans which include a preemptive attack on North Korea, and conducted the war exercises in accordance with these plans.

Therefore it violates the MDT, because the MDT stipulates that the US troops are in South Korea to defend the nation from an attack by North Korea.

Thus we demand that the authorities open up to public scrutiny the hitherto secret wartime support plans, Operational Plans, the scope and costs of the RSOI and FE exercises, which are reviewed every two years, and abolish the illegal offensive Operational Plans 5027, 5026, and 5029, and all exercises aimed against North Korea, such as RSOI and FE, which are conducted in accordance with those O-Plans.

If the ROK-US military authorities force the RSOI and FE exercises, despite our demand, we will block the “’06RSOI and FE” by the mass vigorous protests of the peace-loving people of Korea, the US, and Japan.

2006-3-21

Seoul, Iwakuni