The US and South Korea are proceeding with joint military exercises from Aug 16 - 26 despite protests from South Korean lawmakers and North Korea.
What are these war drills? How do they impact peace and reunification? A thread 🧵
What are these war drills? How do they impact peace and reunification? A thread 🧵
The US and South Korea usually hold joint military exercises twice a year. These war drills can involve up to 300,000 soldiers and often rehearse invasions of North Korea—including “decapitation” exercises to assassinate the DPRK leadership.
With no way of knowing if a drill is cover for a sneak attack, North Korea is forced to put its military on high alert during US-ROK exercises.
The upcoming drill will be mostly computer simulated due to COVID, but this doesn’t make it any less threatening to the DPRK.
The upcoming drill will be mostly computer simulated due to COVID, but this doesn’t make it any less threatening to the DPRK.
Biden says these drills are "defensive," & insists "we support inter-Korean dialogue." But war games in an occupied country can never be defensive.
The DPRK has stopped nuclear tests for 3 yrs to show good faith. Instead of reciprocating, the US is causing problems for no reason
The DPRK has stopped nuclear tests for 3 yrs to show good faith. Instead of reciprocating, the US is causing problems for no reason
In July, a Seoul-Pyongyang hotline was restored after being shut down last year. Many praised this as a step towards dialogue, but the DPRK warned this was "premature."
This week, the DPRK stopped answering the hotline and warned Seoul of a "security crisis" bc of the drills.
This week, the DPRK stopped answering the hotline and warned Seoul of a "security crisis" bc of the drills.
Opposition to the war drills is not only coming from the DPRK.
Over 70 ROK National Assembly lawmakers have signed a statement calling for the drills to be postponed. Even the ROK National Intelligence Service Director has said the government should consider "the big picture."
Over 70 ROK National Assembly lawmakers have signed a statement calling for the drills to be postponed. Even the ROK National Intelligence Service Director has said the government should consider "the big picture."
The DPRK has made its position clear: "We will counter the US on the principle of power for power and goodwill for goodwill."
By pushing ahead, the US is harming the peace process. Nevertheless, international media is committed to representing North Korea as the aggressor.
By pushing ahead, the US is harming the peace process. Nevertheless, international media is committed to representing North Korea as the aggressor.
If the US were serious about peace, it would end sanctions, withdraw from Korea, and sign a peace treaty to end the Korean War.
Anything less is just lip service meant to spin US aggression as defense and perpetuate Korea’s occupation and division.
Anything less is just lip service meant to spin US aggression as defense and perpetuate Korea’s occupation and division.
It’s likely that inter-Korean relations will further deteriorate because of these drills. The Biden and Moon administrations understood this going in.
Whatever results from this terrible decision will be the responsibility of the US and South Korea.
Whatever results from this terrible decision will be the responsibility of the US and South Korea.
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