Gyeonggi Province Proposes Cancellation of ROK-US Joint Military Exercises to Prevent COVID-19 Spread

[Asia Economy (Uijeongbu) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has requested the Ministry of Unification to cancel the upcoming ROK-US joint military exercises scheduled for next month to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and restore trust in inter-Korean relations.

The province announced that it sent a letter of request for the "cancellation of the ROK-US joint military exercises" to the Ministry of Unification on the 31st under the name of Lee Jae-gang, Vice Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province.

In the letter, Vice Governor Lee stated, "COVID-19 prevention is the top national agenda of our government and the highest priority administrative task of Gyeonggi Province," expressing concern that "the ROK-US joint military exercises could become a catalyst for the spread of COVID-19."

According to the province, as of the 30th of this month, there have been a total of 146 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pyeongtaek City, of which 105 cases, or 71.9%, are US Forces Korea personnel. Additionally, among the 121 confirmed US Forces Korea cases nationwide during the same period, 107 are either US military personnel stationed in Gyeonggi Province (76 personnel), their families (15), or civilian employees working at US military bases and their families (16).

Vice Governor Lee explained the background for the cancellation request, saying, "There have been controversies as some US military personnel boarded flights to Korea despite showing suspected symptoms in the US, and over 140 confirmed cases have been reported at 10 US bases in Japan," adding, "Given the current situation where it is difficult to trust the US military's response, if the ROK-US joint military exercises proceed, there is a significant concern that COVID-19 could spread not only among the military personnel of both countries but also to the local communities in Gyeonggi Province where US Forces Korea are concentrated."

Furthermore, he stated, "On the 1st, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling for a cessation of armed conflicts related to COVID-19," emphasizing, "As the world is halting armed conflicts to overcome COVID-19, no reason can justify war exercises. If the exercises pose a serious risk of spreading COVID-19, they should not proceed under any circumstances."

He also reiterated the call for cancellation, saying, "The ROK-US joint military exercises could trigger military responses from the North, which claims they are a 'clear violation of the inter-Korean summit agreements,'" and added, "Tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which escalated due to the issue of leaflet distribution to the North, have not fully subsided. Instead of provocative ROK-US joint military exercises, what is needed are inter-Korean cooperation exercises that build trust."

The government plans to conduct the ROK-US joint military exercises starting August 17 this year, with a significantly reduced scale compared to previous years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.