New U.S. military leader warns about North's asymmetric firepower

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) - North Korea is the primary threat to Northeast Asia and the United States as it continues to bolster its asymmetric military power, the incoming U.S. armed forces chief said Tuesday.
"Absent evidence of fundamental change, North Korea will remain a serious security threat in the region and a significant concern for the U.S. and the international community," Gen. Martin Dempsey, nominated as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in his Senate confirmation hearing.
He pointed out that the North continues to improve "asymmetric capabilities, including weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missiles, special operation forces and cyber capabilities."
He added the role of U.S. troops in South Korea is to "deter North Korean aggression and if deterrence fails, fight and win."
Dempsey stressed the importance of deterrence for the advance of diplomacy on the North, with Pyongyang and Washington set to resume high-level talks on the communist nation's nuclear program.
"Successful deterrence creates the space within which diplomacy can operate," he said.
If confirmed, he will replace Adm. Mike Mullen as the top American military officer.