PANMUNJOM, Korean Demilitarized Zone — US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel toured the Korean DMZ on Monday under the watchful eye of North Korean soldiers and said the Pentagon had no plans to reduce its 28,500-member force in the South despite budget constraints. “This is probably the only place in the world where we have always a risk of confrontation,” Hagel said after visiting a blue, single-story building with a corrugated metal roof where talks are held with North Koreans in the truce village of Panmunjom. It was the first full day of a four-day trip by Hagel to South Korea to celebrate the 60th anniversary of a security alliance between the two countries. — Reuters
