Drills will start after UN acts on N.Korea: Seoul

Seoul and Washington will conduct joint military exercises in the Yellow Sea after the UN takes action against Pyongyang for its alleged sinking of a South Korean warship, a military official said Tuesday.

At a briefing, Colonel Lee Bung-woo, a spokesman for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the drills will be conducted by "linking them to the result" of possible UN Security Council (US) action, Yonhap News Agency reported.

He did not elaborate on the exact timing and scale of the drills aimed at countering the alleged aggression by Pyongyang, which denies its involvement in the sinking, the AP said.

Seoul's announcement came after Beijing expressed its first public opposition to the drills.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular news briefing Tuesday that Beijing has expressed its concerns to the relevant parties, calling on them to keep calm and exercise restraint.

He added that China will represent its position on this issue in a timely manner according to the situation.

An official from South Korea's Ministry of National Defense told the Global Times on condition of anonymity that Washington and Seoul will set the scale of the war game on the basis of the UN's decision.

" We understand China's concerns about the drills," the official added.

Richard Buangan, press spokesman at the US embassy in Beijing, told the Global Times that Washington is in the midst of very intensive consultations with US members over the issue.

"With respect to the military issues that affect the positive, comprehensive and cooperative Sino-US relations, the US has a vital interest in peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," he stressed.

Shi Yuanhua, director of the Center for Korean Studies of Fudan University, said that a UN resolution has nothing to do with military drills.

"The US and South Korea are using the UN as an excuse to pressure China over its stance on the issue," Shi added.

Lü Chao, a researcher of Korean Studies at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said that it is unlikely the UN Security Council will impose sanctions on North Korea before examining the evidence.

Agencies - Global Times