'Little to no change' in N. Korean capabilities: US general

The commander of US forces in South Korea said Tuesday that he had seen "little to no verifiable change" in North Korea's military capabilities.

President Donald Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last June in a bid to resolve tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear program, and the two signed off on a vaguely worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards "the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

General Robert Abrams, the new head of US Forces Korea, said the summit had helped dial down tensions on the Korean peninsula, but had not led to substantive changes.

"Little to no verifiable change has occurred and North Korea's military capabilities," Abrams told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"Further, North Korea's conventional and asymmetric military capabilities along with their continued development of advanced conventional systems remains unchecked. These capabilities continue to hold the United States, the Republic of Korea and our regional allies at risk."

Abrams added that North Korea was continuing its winter military training at historic norms.

Trump and Kim are set to meet in Hanoi from February 27 to 28 for a second summit, following their historic first meet in Singapore last year.

Abrams noted that it had been 440 days since North Korea's last "provocative action" and credited diplomatic efforts and international sanctions for leading to a "significant reduction in tension."

Despite the bonhomie of Kim and Trump's first meeting, progress has since stalled with the two sides disagreeing over what Kim's pledge means.

Analysts say tangible progress on denuclearization will be needed if the talks are to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV."

After that first summit, Trump called off large-scale joint exercises with South Korea.

Abrams said "it is necessary to maintain a postured and ready force to deter any possible aggressive actions," but stressed that the two allied militaries continue to train together at a lower level.

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Can the second Trump-Kim summit end the Korean War?
Seoul (AFP) Feb 8, 2019
The second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has raised hopes for the longest ceasefire in history to be replaced by a peace treaty. Seoul and Pyongyang remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice. Stephen Biegun, the US special envoy for North Korea, said last week that Trump was "ready to end this war", fuelling speculation that the formal end of the conflict may be near, with Trump and Kim meeting in Vietnam this mo ... read more