Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- A rally denouncing the U.S. forces' environmental pollution and joint war maneuvers took place outside the U.S. military base in Ryongsan in Seoul on August 14. It was sponsored by the preparatory committee for "The Meeting of People for Building New Society" of south Korea.

At least 10 000 Seoul citizens attended.

Ri Kyu Jae, chairman of the South Headquarters of the Pan-national Alliance for Korea's Reunification, Yun Hui Suk, joint representative of the south Korean Youth Solidarity, and others made speeches.

The people in the south have suffered distress for the past 66 years, subject to plunder and pressure by the U.S. forces, they deplored.

It has been disclosed in succession that the U.S. forces in south Korea buried massive toxic substances including defoliant in the areas where they were stationed, they said. This is an issue concerning sovereignty, not merely an issue related to environment.

They said they cannot tolerate the present "government" conniving at the U.S. forces' crimes, while staying silent on the issue.

The U.S. forces should be pulled back from south Korea at once and all the DPRK-targeted joint military exercises be stopped, they urged.

Then they encircled the base and launched a protest action, pasting posters reading "U.S. forces, withdraw from south Korea" on the wall of the base.