'Bad Things' Could Happen On Korean Peninsula On Relatively Short Notice - Milley

The situation on the Korean peninsula can quickly turn bad and that is why the United States, together with South Korea, maintain a high degree of military readiness, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd November, 2021) The situation on the Korean peninsula can quickly turn bad and that is why the United States, together with South Korea, maintain a high degree of military readiness, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said on Wednesday.

"(Seventy percent) of North Korean military is within miles of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). So, bad things could happen on the Korean peninsula on relatively short notice. So, we always maintain a very, very high state of readiness," Milley said during an Aspen Forum discussion.

Milley noted that the US and South Korean militaries are capable of dealing with any threat that North Korea can pose on the peninsula.

At the same time, Milley said he believes the North Korean leadership is stable at present and maintains good control over its military that makes it improbable Pyongyang will resort to aggressive action.

The United States and South Korea have said they remain committed to a complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. In October, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield reiterated that Washington was open to dialogue with Pyongyang without any conditions and held no hostile intent. However, the US ambassador called on North Korea to refrain from further provocations after Pyongyang recently tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile.