PANMUNJOM, Korea – Standing just steps from the heavily armed border with North Korea, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Pyongyang (pyuhng-yahng) is closely watching the international response to Syria's use of chemical weapons against its own people.
With North Korean soldiers watching his every move, Hagel told reporters traveling with him that the U.S. has no plans to reduce its military presence in South Korea, despite the ongoing budget crisis.
Hagel's visit is timed to the 60th anniversary of the signing of the mutual defense treaty between the U.S. and South Korea, and to reinforce America's commitment to the security of the peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region.
