U.S. Pacific fleet chief says N Korea is top security concern

North Korea?? Hahaha! Dont you all worry your pretty little heads none too much there, good old Dennis Rodman knows how too woo lil Kim chan Jr with basketball!!

North Korea certainly wouldn't have the easy time they had in 1950 when there was practically nothing south of the DMZ and they could roll right on through and they realize that. If the North Koreans would start a war the only logical thing you can think is that they have promises from the Red Chinese to back them up.

Really? NK is probably dead on its feet. I believe China is a much more real threat to regional security.

North Korea is not a threat. China is an emerging threat.

I agree with those that say China is the most dangerous country in the region. The ChiCom's have gotten much more aggressive in the region in recent years. The North Koreans could casue a great deal of death and destruction to the South should they launch a war but even Lil' Kim must realize that such action would lead to the end of his regime (absent active participation by the Chinese).

WOW! Isn't if funny that we all agree that the REAL threat to this part of the world is not little North Korea, but big and trying to get bigger CHINA?? What a coincidence!! Not??

There are over 300 countries in the world. I can name 20 off the top of my head which appear more threatening than North Korea... China is not on that list! Google Brackem "Fire in the East" for a comprehensive list... North Korea has prove to be a stable regime for over 60 years.

North Korea is a threat because it's in danger of collapsing. Even the Chinese know it's not business as usual in North Korea.

Nearly 100,000 Chinese soldiers and thousands of vehicles from the 16th and 39th Army Groups of the Shenyang Military Region have been mobilized for a winter exercise near the North Korean border to prepare for a potential crisis over the Korean peninsula, reports the Seoul-based Chosun Ilbo.

However, a source from the People's Liberation Army said that it is very rare to see 100,000 military personnel mobilized for a regular exercise.

Observers claim that the PLA chose to launch the military exercises after the execution of Jang Sung-taek, former vice chairman of North Korean National Defense Commission, by order of North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea is capable of making Jumbo Scud missiles so far until now and China has just tested a Mach10 "Hypersonic missile vehicle" two weeks ago! The latter one might penertrate the US NMD system! So if you are the commander in Pacific you better "Knowing your place" when speaking up!

“Our number one security concern is North Korea,” Harris told reporters in Singapore on board the destroyer USS Spruance.

I had a senior moment there for a while. After reading this I said "Holy S**T! The "Spruance" is still operational?" I was thinking of the U.S.S. Spruance (DD-963), which was the lead ship of a class of destroyers built while I was in the navy back in the late 70's. The ship named in this article is U.S.S. Spruance (DDG-111) - an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. Sadly, the Spruance I was thinking of was sunk as a target 18 years ago.

As much as I'd LIKE to say that China is a bigger threat, I have to disagree. China at least has to PRETEND to play nice because of all their international ties via business and financials. Not so North Korea. They're already pretty much isolated, so there's not much the rest of the world can do to pressure N.K. to behave. They're the number one "loose cannon" in Asia right now.

@Aaron - There are over 300 countries in the world.

I think you overshot that number by about 50%.