North Korea condemns U.S. war games By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer

North Korea condemns U.S. war games By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 1 minute ago



SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea delivered a demand to the U.S. military on Friday that it call off war maneuvers with South Korea scheduled at the same time as the second-ever summit between the rival Koreas later this month.

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During a meeting held at the North's request at the truce village of Panmunjom, North Korean officers read a statement to U.S. soldiers saying the exercises would have a "catastrophic impact" on ongoing six-nation negotiations on North Korea's nuclear disarmament.

North Korea also issued a vaguely worded threat, carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency, against the "large-scale war maneuvers." Such threats by North Korea are common, and the country regularly criticizes the annual Ulchi Focus Lens military exercises, held since 1975.

The drills are to involve about 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and abroad, according to the U.S. military.

The U.S. insists the drills are solely defensive and not a threat, and U.S. Army Col. John Towers repeated that position during the 35-minute meeting with his North Korean counterpart Friday, the U.S. military said.

This year's exercise is scheduled for Aug. 20-31, meaning it would overlap with a meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas on Aug. 28-30 in Pyongyang, the second summit since the peninsula was divided after World War II.

Some local media reports have suggested that the drills could be delayed because of the summit, but the South Korean government said it has not considered changing the previously scheduled exercises.

The drills "would not be any big problem" because they do not involve large movements of troops, presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-sun said.

The U.S. military also said in a statement that the exercises "will proceed as announced."

About 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war.