With "Korea-US Exercises, Normalization of Abnormality... Moon Administration Preoccupied with North Korea Sensitivity"

"Moon Administration Halts Training, Causing Public Anxiety"
"Defensive Training, No Reason to Worry About North Korea"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Hyun-ji] The People Power Party evaluated the upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint exercise "Eulji Freedom Shield" (UFS), starting on the 22nd, as a normalization of the abnormal security posture under the Moon Jae-in administration.

Joo Ho-young, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, said at the emergency committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the same day, "This exercise is meaningful in that it strengthens surveillance and preparedness against North Korean provocations such as missile launches and normalizes outdoor field training, which had been reduced or suspended since 2018."

He pointed out, "The foundation of our national defense security is bilateral cooperation based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance. It is absurd that two forces, speaking different languages and using different systems, would be deployed to war without regular training." He added, "The previous Moon Jae-in administration did not conduct live field training for various reasons, causing many citizens to feel uneasy and worry whether our security posture was sufficient."

He continued, "Under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, while pursuing inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, we have restarted field training under the principle that there should be no gaps in our self-defense security. Although North Korea strongly opposed it, there is no reason to consider North Korea’s reaction even for defensive training," he emphasized.

Seong Il-jong, the chairman of the policy committee, also stated, "This year’s exercise, conducted for the first time under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, marks the resumption of South Korea-U.S. brigade-level joint field training, which was suspended during the Moon Jae-in administration in 2018, and normalizes the military that had been relying on computer simulations instead of actual training." He directly criticized, "The government’s suspension of training out of concern for North Korea’s reaction was the epitome of abnormality."

He added, "It is very concerning that the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and pro-North groups held rallies calling for the suspension of the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, labeling them as 'war rehearsal training.' Such actions do not align with the public’s standards and are based on a narrow security perception that neglects the safety of the people and the nation. I hope they realize that such protests can no longer gain public support," he sharply criticized.

Chairman Seong concluded, "I hope the government closely monitors North Korea’s behavior and concentrates all efforts on successfully completing the exercises. The People Power Party will also actively support the normalization of the Eulji exercises to strengthen our security."