hankyoreh

2012 in Pocheon

By Kang tae-ho, senior staff writer

Signs of large-scale North Korea military exercises have been detected in the East Sea, coinciding with the US and South Korea’s regular combined Foal Eagle field-training exercises, which enter full swing this week.

North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper also warned again of the possibility of additional nuclear testing.

A source with the South Korean military said on Mar. 3 that the North Korean armed forces had been detected preparing for joint exercises of their army, navy, and air force.

“They’re preparing for the exercises all over North Korea, and it looks like they’re planning joint army, navy, and air force firepower training in the East Sea early this month,” the source said.

One possibility mentioned was that the exercises might include a launch of the KN-08 missile, which appears to have been developed as a new intercontinental ballistic missile, or the Musudan, which has a 4,000-kilometer range and was placed into combat position without ever being test launched.

The source went on to say that the North Korean army, navy, and air force had conducted joint firing drills in Nampo, South Pyongan province in March 2012, while the army and air force participated in live-fire exercises at the village of Taewon south of Pyongyang the following month.

“But these latest exercises seem to be much bigger than past ones in the East Sea, and they have a nuclear testing site there,” the source added.

Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported the Rodong Sinmun as responding to news that US reinforcements had departed for South Korea on Mar. 1 from the US, Japan, and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific Region to take part in the combined field training exercise by writing in a Mar. 2 piece from Beijing that there had been “no change in North Korea’s militant position and determination to continue with second and third response measures to the provocative disturbance.”

The Rodong Sinmun piece also warned that the US-South Korea exercises would cause a severe chill on the Korean peninsula and that these exercises are preparation for a preemptive nuclear strike against North Korea. “It is our natural right to strengthen our military force, including the nuclear deterrent, to protect the nation’s destiny,” it said in explanation of the recent nuclear test.

The Foal Eagle exercises are scheduled to continue until Apr. 30. The Key Resolve command post exercises (CPX) are also scheduled to take place over a two-week period from Mar. 11 to 21.

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