He said that the Key Resolve joint military exercises are little short of Team Spirit as they are now under way under the changed codename.

Voices are mounting higher among south Koreans from all walks of life demanding a stop to the war drills against the north and peace, he noted, adding that to brand them as "the forces following the north" is little different from acts of inciting a war and perpetuating the division.

He expressed concern over the tragedy and disasters to be entailed by a war on the Korean Peninsula hardly comparable with those during the June 25 war.

The forces standing in the way of peace are the hardliners of south Korea and the U.S., he said, urging the separatists and Cold War-minded forces to come to their senses.

He called on the progressive forces to join hands and pool wisdom to pave the way for peace.