hankyoreh

Japan

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, Staff Writer

Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington will participate in a four-day South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise to take place in the West Sea from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday. The 97,000-ton carrier that carries 75 warplanes and has a crew of over 6,000 has left its home port Yokosuka U.S. Naval Base south of Tokyo the morning of Nov. 24, according to Japanese news outlets.

“This exercise is defensive in nature. While planned well before the unprovoked artillery attack on Tuesday, it demonstrates the strength of the ROK (Republic of Korea)-U.S. alliance and our commitment to regional stability through deterrence. It is also designed to improve our military interoperability,” the USFK said in a press release.　In July, the carrier was deployed for a joint exercise in the East Sea in the wake of the sinking of the Cheonan.

Observers said it appears to be a demonstration of the allies’ military force. Though the U.S. government notified China of the dispatch of the aircraft carrier group to the West Sea close to eastern China, the Chinese government has showed its displeasure. As a result, international society has turned its attention to China’s response.

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense said the allies have raised the five-grade WATCHCON surveillance alert to level 2 from level 3.

Prosecutors also launched an investigation on false rumors spreading about North Korea’s artillery attack and said it will sternly crack down on those who sympathize with North Korea. The South Korean government also suspended its aid to North Korea Red Crossl, while asking civic organizations not to take out goods bound for North Korea.

In response, North Korea said it would not stick to humanitarian issues any more, accusing South Korea of “ruining” further chances of reuniting families separated by the Korean War six decades ago.

Just before North Korea’s shelling, five MiG-23 fighters were ready to fly missions at a nearby air base and North Korean navy readied ground-to-ship missiles and ordered its warships to be combat ready, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said in a National Assembly session. Both countries inched closer toward air force combat, as South Korea’s eight F-15K and KF-16 fighters flied near the border shortly after the shelling.

Meanwhile, officials reported that the bodies of two civilian temporary workers were found to have been killed by North Korea’s shelling at a military construction site on Yeonpyeong Island, according to officials.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]