The new commander of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea, General Leon LaPorte, has paid a courtesy call on Defense Minister Kim Dong-shin. Kim asked LaPorte to work closely with South Korea to strengthen Seoul-Washington alliance. He also asked for U.S. forces' support to make the upcoming World Cup a success. LaPorte said he'll try to maintain a perfect military preparedness and create conditions for constructive dialogue between the United States and North Korea. LaPorte replaced General Thomas Schwartz, whose term ended on Wednesday. The U-S-F-K commander also serves as the commander in chief of the United Nations Command and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.