At the rally speakers recalled that the south Korea-U.S. "Combined Force Command" announced that it would stage Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises throughout south Korea from August 17 to 27.

They charged that the maneuvers involving at least 56,000 south Korean troops and more than 10,000 U.S. troops are aimed at stifling the fellow countrymen in the north and threatening the peace on the Korean Peninsula.

They held that the United States and the south Korean authorities claim the projected exercises are "for the purpose of defense" and "ordinary drills" and the like but they are obviously maneuvers for a war of aggression against the north in terms of their scale and nature.

They urged the warmongers to cancel the plan for the dangerous exercises and stop the hostile acts against the north as early as possible.