The Pentagon’s nominee to be the next commander of US forces in South Korea said on Tuesday that a decision to suspend some joint military exercises between Seoul and the US had caused a “slight degradation” in readiness. “I think there was certainly degradation to the readiness of the force,” Reuters quoted US Army General Robert Abrams as saying during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Abrams also said North Korea still had significant capabilities and the United States should remain “clear-eyed” about the situation on the Korean Peninsula.