By Jun Ji-hye
China has conducted a large-scale drill, designed to train troops to occupy North Korea's nuclear facilities, in preparation for sudden changes in the North such as a conflict or regime collapse, according to media reports, Monday.
According to the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, 100,000 Chinese troops participated in the drill of a simulated occupation of a building that is the same size and shape as the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex.
The newspaper said intelligence officials of South Korea and the United States learned of such an exercise through pictures taken by reconnaissance satellites.
"It was unprecedented that the scene of Chinese troops carrying out a large-scale drill to occupy the Yongbyon nuclear complex was captured," an unidentified military official was quoted as saying.
The newspaper added that intelligence authorities of Seoul and Washington held a meeting in Seoul at the end of last year in response to such a drill and prepared countermeasures. During this meeting, the allies agreed that the United States and South Korea would handle plutonium and highly-enriched uranium, respectively, to acquire the North's nuclear weapons before China does, it noted.
It is unclear whether such an agreement is still valid, given that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last week that Washington and Beijing have been discussing a possible conflict or regime collapse in the North.
During a forum, co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington D.C., Tillerson said, "We have had conversations (with the Chinese) that if something happened, and we had to go across a line, we have given the Chinese assurances we would go back and retreat back to the south of the 38th parallel when whatever the conditions that caused that to happen."
Tillerson added that the only U.S. objective is to secure the Kim regime's nuclear weapons.
The comments raised concerns here over "Korea passing," which refers to South Korea's isolation in negotiations about issues related to the Korean Peninsula.
The Ministry of National Defense denied that officials of Seoul and Washington held the meeting to discuss China's exercise.
"Such a meeting did not take place," said ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo.
On whether China actually conducted the exercise, Choi said, "That is not an issue that the South Korean government can confirm."
She added that the government is making preparations faithfully for various situations that could occur on the peninsula.
Regarding the comments made by Tillerson, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon said: "South Korea and the U.S.' joint defense posture remains firm."
China has conducted a large-scale drill, designed to train troops to occupy North Korea's nuclear facilities, in preparation for sudden changes in the North such as a conflict or regime collapse, according to media reports, Monday.
According to the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, 100,000 Chinese troops participated in the drill of a simulated occupation of a building that is the same size and shape as the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex.
The newspaper said intelligence officials of South Korea and the United States learned of such an exercise through pictures taken by reconnaissance satellites.
"It was unprecedented that the scene of Chinese troops carrying out a large-scale drill to occupy the Yongbyon nuclear complex was captured," an unidentified military official was quoted as saying.
The newspaper added that intelligence authorities of Seoul and Washington held a meeting in Seoul at the end of last year in response to such a drill and prepared countermeasures. During this meeting, the allies agreed that the United States and South Korea would handle plutonium and highly-enriched uranium, respectively, to acquire the North's nuclear weapons before China does, it noted.
It is unclear whether such an agreement is still valid, given that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last week that Washington and Beijing have been discussing a possible conflict or regime collapse in the North.
During a forum, co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington D.C., Tillerson said, "We have had conversations (with the Chinese) that if something happened, and we had to go across a line, we have given the Chinese assurances we would go back and retreat back to the south of the 38th parallel when whatever the conditions that caused that to happen."
Tillerson added that the only U.S. objective is to secure the Kim regime's nuclear weapons.
The comments raised concerns here over "Korea passing," which refers to South Korea's isolation in negotiations about issues related to the Korean Peninsula.
The Ministry of National Defense denied that officials of Seoul and Washington held the meeting to discuss China's exercise.
"Such a meeting did not take place," said ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo.
On whether China actually conducted the exercise, Choi said, "That is not an issue that the South Korean government can confirm."
She added that the government is making preparations faithfully for various situations that could occur on the peninsula.
Regarding the comments made by Tillerson, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon said: "South Korea and the U.S.' joint defense posture remains firm."
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