They included Son Hyong Gun, chairman of the Federation of South Koreans in Japan for Democracy and Unification (Hanthongryon), Mun Se Hyon, chairman of the south Korean Youth League in Japan, Kim Ji Yong, chairperson of the South Korean Democratic Women's Society in Japan, and Jo Yong Hwa, chairperson of the South Korean Students Federation in Japan.

The chairman of Hanthongryon read out a written protest.

The written protest denounced the U.S. for kicking off Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises that day, defying the public opinions at home and abroad aspiring after peace against war.

It noted:

The U.S. is describing them as "defensive drills", but it is as clear as noonday that the drills are aimed to invade the north.

The military exercises kicked off by the U.S. when the reunion of separated families and relatives was under way are little short of throwing a wet blanket over the atmosphere of peace on the Korean peninsula.

The military drills are most likely to go over to an all-out war, a nuclear war due to an accidental conflict by leading the tensions on the peninsula to an extreme phase.

The U.S., seeking hegemony in Asia, is trying hard to build the U.S.-Japan-south Korea triangular military alliance. Taking advantage of this development, Japan is watching for a chance of military advance to the peninsula.

The situation is getting deteriorated owing to the U.S. hard-line policy, the written protest said, urging the U.S. to immediately stop the war drills against the north, withdraw its forces from south Korea and discontinue the moves for building the triangular military alliance.