At the press conference the organizations said the "government" is claiming that the joint naval exercises being staged in the waters off Jeju Island with the Japan "Self-Defense Forces" involved are aimed to conduct search and rescue operations but they cannot be viewed as ones for humanitarian purposes in the light of forces involved and the programs of the exercises.

The gravity of the situation is that the military exercises will serve as an occasion for Japan to accumulate experience of actual battle for the exercise of the "right to collective self-defense" and more such military drills are expected, the organizations charged.

The "government's" act of helping Japan exercise the "right to collective self-defense" by drawing the SDF into the joint military exercises is a criminal act of supporting it in disturbing peace, they held.

They demanded the "government" clarify the stand of opposing Japan's exercise of the "right to collective self-defense" and stop all military cooperation with Japan.

At the end of the press conference the organizations sent Chongwadae a written protest addressed to the present chief executive, the "prime minister" and the minister of Defense.

Joint press conferences of civic and public organizations opposing military cooperation with Japan took place in Taejon, Kwangju, Pusan, and Suwon in Kyonggi Province, Changwon in South Kyongsang Province and other parts of south Korea on the same day.