WASHINGTON, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The United States has come up with scenarios to cope with any contingencies in North Korea after leader Kim Jong-il's death, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command said Wednesday."We are prepared to execute a wide range of options in concert with allies in South Korea and in discussions through (the Department of) State, which would have the lead, with countries in the region, and internationally if necessary," Adm. Timothy Keating said at a news conference at the Pentagon. "I don't think it is axiomatic that the departure of Kim Jong-il means a national security crisis. We'd hope it wouldn't. But we are going to be prepared if it does mean that."
"What would happen if and when he cedes control or is no longer capable of exercising control? Don't know," the commander said. "But I can tell you that we have plans with the United States Forces-Korea and others in place if the president tells us to execute those plans in the event of some uncertain succession in the North."
The commander made his remarks as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with her counterparts from South Korea, China, Japan and Russia, members of the six-party talks on ending North Korea's ambitions, in Phuket, Thailand, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum. On the Thai resort island, Clinton expressed the U.S. intent to normalize ties with Pyongyang "if they will agree to irreversible denuclearization."
Otherwise, the top U.S. diplomat warned, the reclusive communist state "will face international isolation and the unrelenting pressure of global sanctions."
Keating said he was not sure about the North Korean leader's health and possible successor. "The facts as I know them are fairly limited. He has clearly suffered some change of health. Is it the result of a stroke? Is that change the result of a stroke? Is there some larger issue at stake? I don't know," he said. "He's a different man today than he was a year ago, physically, in appearance. As to his mental acuity, I don't know. As to the plan for succession, I don't know."
On allegations that North Korea is cooperating militarily with Myanmar, Keating said, "If it is, in fact, Burma that is receiving goods and assistance from North Korea, that's against -- that violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718. And we, along with the international community, would be very concerned if that is, in fact, occurring."
Clinton Wednesday expressed "growing concerns" over "military cooperation between North Korea and Burma, which we take very seriously," hinting at the possible transfer of nuclear and missile technology to Myanmar, formerly Burma.
At a daily news briefing, State Department spokesman Robert Wood elaborated on Clinton's remarks made a day earlier. "What the secretary