The South Korean media has disclosed that the postponed naval exercise with the United States may be canceled or at least scaled down.

Although not officially confirmed, this indicates a possible change in Seoul's initial decision to confront Pyongyang - a show of force in the Yellow Sea will not only fail to warn the North over the sinking of a warship, but upset the balance in the entire region of Northeast Asia.

Anger against the planned US-South Korea drill on the waters linking China and the Korean Peninsula has been evident among Chinese people in the past month.

Beijing sees the joint exercise not only as being aimed at Pyongyang, but also as a direct threat to its territorial waters and coastline.

It is high time the South Korean administration reconsiders its policy in this region, as the hostility did nothing but exacerbate the already fragile regional stability, and tarnish Seoul's image in China.

In the past two years, the situation on the Korean Peninsula has been worsening rapidly. While the Six-Party Talks show no sign of resuming, the specter of a military conflict appears to be growing.

The problem lies with President Lee Myung-bak, who abandoned the reunification-oriented "Sunshine Policy" of the previous two administrations for closer ties with the US, while getting tougher with the North.

By binding itself to the US, South Korea has only further irked the North, which in turn will push the South even closer to the US in pursuit of security. This will only worsen the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and increase the discomfort of neighbors.

E v e n t u a l l y , South Korea itself may become a victim of injecting elements of war into Northeast Asia and breaking the balance of power.

It is not known whether Lee had thought of China's reaction when he announced in May the drill with the US.

Did he foresee Chinese people's anger? Or, did he intend to provoke the country on the other side of the Yellow Sea?

Public sentiments in China and South Korea vis-à-vis each other have fallen to a new low in recent years. Some Chinese people have been comparing the US-South Korea drill to the visit to Yasukuni Shrine by Japan's former prime minister Koizumi Junichiro.

It is a shame and a provocation on China's doorstep.

If a US aircraft carrier enters the Yellow Sea, it will mean a major setback to Seoul's diplomacy, as hostility between the peoples of China and South Korea will probably escalate, which Beijing and Seoul have been working for years to avoid.

China welcomes the growing economic and cultural influence of South Korea in Northeast Asia.

If the Lee Myung-bak administration shows greater vision and disengages from the needlessly provocative military action, it will gain the respect of China and others, and reap the benefits of regional stability and peace.