Locklear: Tensions on Korean Peninsula Highest Since War\’s End

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2013 – With tensions on the Korean Peninsula reaching their highest level in the 60 years since the war there ended, the United States and South Korea are prepared to defend against a North Korean attack, should one come, the U.S. Pacific Command commander told Congress today.

\”I am satisfied that we are ready today,\” Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Locklear expressed confidence in the capabilities of U.S. and South Korean forces and their ability to intercept a North Korean ballistic missile if one is launched in the coming days, as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has threatened.