SEOUL, March 6. /TASS/. Large-scale exercises of the United States and the Republic of Korea, Freedom Shield, should be suspended after an accidental dropping of aerial bombs on a South Korean village located close to the training site, said non-profit organization Solidarity for Independent Unification and Peace.
"Now the village in the vicinity of Pocheon, where the bomb fell, looks like there was fighting there. Residents of not only the border area, but also the entire Korean Peninsula have felt the fear of war again," the non-profit organization said in a statement obtained by TASS.
The village is located within 40 km from the border with North Korea. On March 10, South Korea and the United States plan to launch large-scale Freedom Shield exercises.
"We draw attention to the high risk that the combat exercises by the Republic of Korea and the United States may lead to an uncontrolled situation in the area of the military demarcation line, and we urge you to halt the Freedom Shield exercises," the statement said. The activists then called for "abandoning plans" for these maneuvers. The organization added that such exercises not only heighten tension on the peninsula, but also "damage the health and property of the people."
A South Korean pilot accidentally dropped the aerial bombs on the village on March 6, injuring at least 15 people. South Korean media reported that South Korean army postponed live firing exercises until the causes of the incident were established, but the measure excludes Freedom Shield.
Freedom Shield exercises, to be held from March 10 to March 20, include field maneuvers and computer simulations of military operations. They will take place "in all spheres - on land, at sea, in the air, in space and cyberspace." Their goal is to increase coordination between the military of the United States and the Republic of Korea. It is expected that 19,000 South Korean troops will participate.