U.S. President Barack Obama’s nominee for intelligence chief says North Korea could again attempt to advance its political goals through direct attacks on South Korea.

James Clapper made the remark Tuesday in a report to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

He said the most important lesson the intelligence community can learn from the sinking of the “Cheonan” naval ship is to realize that the U.S. may be entering a dangerous new period with North Korea.

He added that the Cheonan incident has highlighted "a renewed realization that North Korea's military forces still pose a threat that cannot be taken lightly.”