Q+A: Why are U.S.-South Korea drills so sensitive?
SEOUL |
SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. and South Korean militaries have started a large-scale exercise off the west coast of the peninsula on Sunday, just days after North Korea fired a barrage of missiles at a South Korean island.
The nuclear-powered USS George Washington is participating in the exercise from Sunday to Wednesday.
Here are some questions and answers about the exercise:
WHY CONDUCT JOINT EXERCISES?
The exercises are held primarily to send a message to North Korea that the U.S. military stands by South Korea. These combined drills are also an overt show of force.
Washington says large-scale drills, which started after the sinking of the Cheonan warship in March, are designed to send a clear message to North Korea that its aggressive behavior must stop.
The U.S. and South Korean militaries are vastly better equipped than the North's, and experts say they would quickly win any war. The North's force of over a million troops easily outnumbers the U.S.-South Korean contingent, but its equipment is old and it barely has enough fuel to fly its fighter jets. The exercises also serve to underline the gap in technology.
HOW OFTEN AND WHERE ARE THEY HELD?
South Korea and the United States regularly hold combined exercises each year, but after the sinking of the Cheonan they agreed to stage a series of large-scale military drills. This weekend's exercise will be their third of these extra combined maneuvres, and the second to take place off the west coast where the Cheonan was torpedoed in the Yellow Sea. North Korea denies responsibility for the attack.
A joint drill in July involving the aircraft carrier the USS George Washington was initially planned for the Yellow Sea off the peninsula's west coast, but after criticism from China it was moved to areas off the east coast.
This weekend's drill had initially been scheduled for late last month, just before the G20 summit in Seoul, but was postponed due to scheduling problems.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SENDING AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER?
The participation of 97,000-ton nuclear-powered carrier from the U.S. 7th Fleet is the ultimate show of strength. Carriers have a become a symbol of the United States' position as a superpower.
The carrier strike group includes 75 aircraft and 6,000 sailors. These massive vessels, essentially mini cities at sea, have found an important role as the "forward military presence" of the United States.
WHY DOES THIS UPSET NORTH KOREA SO MUCH?
Pyongyang regards military exercises by South Korea and the United States with genuine unease, fearing the maneuvers could be a smokescreen for a real attack.
The North customarily responds to such exercises with bellicose remarks. In July, it threatened "a sacred war" if the allies went ahead with joint exercises. On Saturday the North said if the U.S. carrier participated in the exercise "no one can predict the ensuing consequences."
The North says the exercises also violate its sovereignty and pose a major danger for the security of the region.
WHY HAS CHINA REACTED SO ANGRILY TO THE EXERCISES THIS YEAR?
China has this year voiced its serious objection to exercises in the Yellow Sea, and has expressed concern about this week's joint drill.
Firstly, it says they add to tensions in the region, which have been running high since the sinking of the Cheonan. Tuesday's shelling of a remote island village raised tension levels another notch. Secondly, China says the exercises threaten its own security, happening too close to home shores for comfort.
Beijing has also been irked by U.S. Navy ships engaging in surveillance in waters close to its coast.
Washington, which wants China to rein in its ally North Korea, said the exercises were planned long before Tuesday's attack. The U.S. says they are aimed at deterring North Korea and not at China.
More broadly, China fears being encircled by hostile forces, whether Russia to the north, India to the southwest or U.S. military bases in Japan and South Korea.
(Editing by Nick Macfie and Sanjeev Miglani)
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North Korea has disregarded international law, international embargoes and has sunk a South Korean ship and attacked a South Korean island; and these “exercises” have been happening throughout all of this. N.Korea is obviously not intimidated at all by these exercises; the only significant outcome of these exercises are in antagonising China (as you said, N.Korea’s largest ally).
I find it amazing that some nations can flaunt their technology, military and show their complete disregard for international bodies while other countries are “liberated” at the drop of a hat. The modern world, terrific mindphuck of a place.
Are they the same experts which stated the same about the war in Iraq ? And i think the S.Korean are more concerned about what will happen after the war. And what is the use of “Show of Force” when the N.Korean knows you are only crying wolfs.
The players in the region do not want an escalation. South Korea would lose the city of Seoul to conventional artillery without nuclear weapons but would win the war. China, South Korea, the US and Japan do not want the refugees from the conflict. China already has a problem with NK illegal immigrants in its Korean populations and would be forced to choose between a DPRK ‘ally’ and it’s biggest customer, the US. The Chinese would eventually support the US but we would probably have to agree to limit US ground forces to supporting SK forces from below the 38th parallel. All this assumes the DPRK does not touch off a nuke. If that happens, all bets are off.
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