Top US military officer warns of NKorean threat

South Korea could see more North Korean provocations as Pyongyang works to strengthen leader Kim Jong Il's successor, the top U.S. military officer said Thursday. Seoul says North Korean attacks last year killed 50 South Koreans as Kim Jong Il's third son Kim Jong Un rose to prominence as heir-apparent. "A succession plan being executed has been ongoing for some time, and that's not an insignificant part of the whole provocation cycle," Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters in Seoul. The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff also said that North Korea's "threat remains very real" as it continues to pursue improved nuclear capabilities. "I'm not convinced that they won't provoke again. I've said for a long time that the only thing predictable about North Korea is their unpredictability," Mullen said.