Hillary's First Test

Secretary of State Clinton is about to visit South Korea. Just hours ahead of her arrival, North Korea has declared that they are "fully ready for war."

North Korea stepped up its war rhetoric Thursday, saying its troops are "fully ready" for war with South Korea, just hours before a visit to Seoul by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The North's military accused South Korean President Lee Myung-bak of using "nonexistent" nuclear and missile threats as a pretext for an invasion and warned it was prepared for an "all-out confrontation." The strident statement carried on state-run media comes amid reports that the North is preparing to test-fire a long-range missile and as Clinton heads to Seoul for talks Friday that are expected to focus on North Korea. Meanwhile, Clinton said that the North's leadership situation is uncertain and the United States is worried the Stalinist country may soon face a succession crisis to replace dictator Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jong Il is in poor health and has reportedly tapped his young son, who is thought to be in his 20's, to replace him.