The House Armed Services Committee held a full committee hearing on the security situation in the Korean Peninsula. General James D. Thurman, Commander of U.S. forces in Korea, testified.
Dr. Peter Lavoy, acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia and Pacific Security Affairs, also testified.
North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, announced plans to mark the anniversary of its founder next month by firing a long-range rocket that will carry a satellite into orbit.
The announcement provoked outcry from South Korea and the international community, who say the launch is a cover for a long-range missile test.
President Obama just returned from a nuclear summit in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea and Iran did not attend.