Photo : YONHAP News
The nominee for U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) chairman said North Korea’s long-range missile and nuclear programs represent an “immediate security challenge.” Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John Caine presented the assessment in a written statement submitted in advance to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Caine was responding to a question about the potential impact of a significant reduction in the number of U.S. troops in South Korea or Japan. Caine’s remarks appear to indicate a negative view of the idea of cutting troop numbers. But he added that if confirmed, he will assess the U.S. military presence in Japan and South Korea and make recommendations to the secretary of defense and the U.S. president. Caine also said Pyongyang has tested multiple missile systems capable of striking U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan, as well as in Guam, Alaska, Hawaii and the continental United States.
He added that the North also conducts persistent cyber activities to generate funds and obtain technical information in support of the regime’s military and its weapons of mass destruction programs.