74 lawmakers call for delaying joint military drill with U.S.

Aug 06, 2021, 05:50 am

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Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Sul Hoon holds a press conference calling for South Korea and the United States to postpone an annual joint military exercise scheduled for later this month, at the National Assembly on August 5, 2021. (From left) DP lawmaker Seo Young-seok, independent lawmaker Yoon Mee-hyang, and DP lawmakers Lee Byung-hoon, Sul Hoon, Yoo Gi-hong, Yoon Young-duk, and Jin Sung-joon./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa

AsiaToday reporter Jeong Geum-min

A total of 74 lawmakers from in and outside the ruling Democratic Party (DP) issued a joint statement Thursday calling for a postponement of the joint drills between South Korea and the United States scheduled for later this month for the sake of improving inter-Korean relations.

The lawmakers, including DP Reps. Sul Hoon and Jin Sung-joon and independent Rep. Yoon Mee-hyang, held a press conference at the National Assembly and said, “We propose Seoul and Washington actively consider making a decision to postpone the joint exercise scheduled to be held in August on the condition that North Korea comes into negotiation table for improvement of inter-Korean relations and peace on the Korean Peninsula.” The petition was signed by 61 DP lawmakers as well as Justice Party, Open Democratic Party, Basic Income Party and independent representatives.

“Five days after the two Koreas reopened direct cross-border liaison hotlines, Kim Yo-jong, the North Korean leader’s powerful sister, demanded to suspend the annual joint military exercise scheduled in August,” the petition said. “Since North Korea has been constantly calling for a halt to the joint military exercise, there is nothing new to the request of Kim Yo-jong.”

“If the drills are postponed, we think inter-Korean relations as well as North Korea-U.S. relations would face a much different situation,” Sul said. “As peace on the Korean Peninsula is much more important, I think it is appropriate to either suspend or postpone the exercise by communicating with the U.S. side,” he said.

The petition drew attention as it came after the DP leadership expressed skepticism towards the postponement of the joint exercise.

Song Young-gil, chairman of the DP, told a YTN radio program Thursday morning that there would be various factors to consider if the negotiation table between the North and the U.S. is set up and negotiations between the two Koreas are completely resumed, however it would be difficult to postpone the exercise with the cross-border liaison hotlines just restored.

Kim Byung-joo, a DP deputy floor leader and a former deputy commander of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, said at a party policy coordination meeting Thursday, “The upcoming exercise is not aimed to create tension but to be defense. I understand that South Korea and the U.S. are adjusting the scale and content of the exercise appropriately in consideration of the ongoing COVID-19 situation and the improvement of joint readiness posture.”

In response, Sul said, “Even if it has to renegotiate with the United States, delaying the exercise is a wiser way to deal with it.”

Regarding whether or not to communicate with the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, Sul said, “There is no reason to communicate with Cheong Wa Dae because it is the will of the lawmakers.”

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