Provocative action challenging the atmosphere for peace and reunion

Provocative action challenging the atmosphere for peace and reunion  The south Korean military authorities, together with the U.S., have been staging the large-scale 2018 Max Thunder joint air combat drill throughout south Korea since May 11 at a time when the Korean nation in the north, south and abroad and world peace-loving people are delighted at development of inter-Korean relations and détente of the Korean Peninsula thanks to the adoption of historic Panmunjeom Declaration.   Many F-22 Raptor stealth fighters are involved in the drill as against the previous year.  The exercise aiming at a preemptive air strike at the DPRK and gain of air supremacy is a risky provocation act as it casts a cloud over fence-mending of inter-Korean relationship, détente of the Korean Peninsula and the scheduled DPRK-U.S. summit. Members of the People’s Democratic Party held a news conference in front of an air base in Gwangju on May 15 and 16. It strongly demanded immediate halt to the joint drill, saying that introduction of U.S. stealth fighters into the Korean Peninsula instead of reducing the scale of exercise shows the U.S. sinister intention of outwardly calling for dialogue but inwardly sharpening dagger. Sixty civic organizations including the People's Action for Peace against War, the Korean Confederation of Trade Union, and the National Federation of Peasants Association held a news conference in front of the U.S. embassy on May 16. They criticized the U.S. and south Korean authorities for staging the large-scale 2018 Max Thunder joint air combat drill before the ink of the historic April 27 Declaration got dry. They noted that who will believe the joint drill with large involvement of stealth fighters aiming at bombing raid against north Korea as an "annual one with defensive nature". Members of opposition party held a candlelight rally in front of the Defense Ministry at night of May 16 to next morning in demand of discontinuance of the drill.     The Daejeon Headquarters of the South Side Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration called a news conference in front of the Daejeon city office. The staging of joint rehearsal in a matter of less than one month since the adoption of the Panmunjeom Declaration is attributable to the warlike force, it added.  It urged the south Korean authorities to stop all war drills with the U.S. The 2018 Max Thunder joint air combat drill should be stopped at once as it is a treacherous act which vitiates the atmosphere of inter-Korean rapprochement, peace and reunification.