hankyoreh

By Ha Eo-young, staff reporter

The ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) announced on Feb. 10 that Feb. 24 would be the official start date for the Key Resolve/Foal Eagle exercise. While the CFC insists that the exercises are defensive and a regular part of the schedule, the overlap in dates with planned reunions among divided families has some questioning how Pyongyang will react.

The CFC informed North Korea of its schedule for the exercises on the previous day, but North Korea has yet to reply. North Korea had previously demanded a halt to the exercises in a National Defense Commission spokesperson’s statement on Feb. 6.

“North Korea is likely to state its official position sometime today or tomorrow,” said a source in the South Korean Ministry of Unification on condition of anonymity. “They’re almost certainly going to state their opposition, but our hope is that it‘s not harsh enough to ruin things for the reunions.”

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