The new commander of U.S. armed forces in Korea has visited the South Korea border island which was the target of a deadly artillery attack by North Korean forces late last year.

Wednesday's trip to Yeonpyeong island by was the first by General James Thurman since he took over command of the 28,000 U.S. forces stationed on the peninsula in July. Four people were killed in last November's shelling of Yeonpyeong, including two South Korean marines.

A statement released by the United Nations Command says Thurman a group of South Korean officers that military forces “must stand ready and protect the people” against a possible provocation by the North.

Thurman also serves as head of the UNC, which oversees the 1953 Armistice agreement that ended the Korean War, and the U.S.-South Korea bilateral Combined Forces Command.