Kim Hwan-YOUNG, Peace Protest Leader, said, "The DPRK is reacting very sensitively over the campaign and it's understandable. The campaign shouldn't be staged unless we're at war."

Meanwhile, the DPRK has repeated its condemnation of the exercises. State media issued commentaries, saying both the North and the South should create an atmosphere of dialogue to try to build trust. However, South Korea and the US insist on holding the exercises, openly challenging the DPRK.

The commentaries criticize South Korea's actions of holding exercises on the one hand while declaring "dialogue" on the other.

The commentaries say if South Korea sincerely wishes to hold inter-Korean dialogue and improve relations, it should change its policy of confrontation and stop its military provocation against the DPRK.