US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived in South Korea today for talks focused on the future role of US troops in the country and measures for stability in the region. Hegseth is also expected to visit the demilitarized zone on the border with North Korea, Reuters reported, BTA reports.
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-pak and Hegseth will hold the annual Security Consultative Meeting on Tuesday, which will set the course of the bilateral military alliance and defense strategy against nuclear-armed North Korea.
Joint defense and new challenges
The two ministers will discuss joint defense readiness, as well as regional cooperation in the areas of cybersecurity and missile defense, the South Korean Defense Ministry said.
They are also expected to review plans for responding to the changing security environment and discuss ways to strengthen the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
Washington is considering a more flexible approach to the role of U.S. forces in Korea to maintain the balance of power in Asia amid China's growing influence in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
Military presence and strategic importance
About 28,500 American soldiers are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War (1950–1953). Seoul relies on the US nuclear umbrella for protection from China, Russia and North Korea, and the alliance with Washington remains key to US military projection in the region.
Although Seoul has long resisted changes to the status of US forces, over the past two decades the country has been aggressively developing its own defence capabilities with the aim of taking over military command of the joint forces, which also include 450,000 South Korean soldiers.
South Korea is also planning its biggest defence budget increase in years in 2026 - partly in response to US President Donald Trump's insistence that allies shoulder more of the financial burden for the US military presence.
The North Korean threat remains
Meanwhile, North Korea continues to ignore offers of dialogue from Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myeon, while significantly improving its missile and military capabilities.