US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrived in South Korea for official meetings focused on the role of American troops stationed in the country. Hegseth is scheduled to visit the Demilitarized Zone on the North Korean border and attend the Security Consultative Meeting, where Washington and Seoul will outline future defense cooperation.
Talks with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back are expected to cover joint defense readiness against North Korea, regional security, and cyber and missile defense. Washington is seeking greater flexibility for its 28,500 troops in South Korea amid rising tensions over China’s activities in the South China Sea and around Taiwan — a move Seoul has been cautious to endorse.