U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that Washington would explore "flexibility" for American troops stationed in South Korea to address regional threats while maintaining the alliance’s core focus on deterring North Korea.
Speaking at a joint press briefing in Seoul with South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back, Hegseth said the two allies were discussing adjustments to their military cooperation as part of efforts to strengthen deterrence and adapt to a changing regional security landscape.
When asked whether the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea could be used in operations beyond the Korean Peninsula, including potential conflicts involving China, Hegseth said that protecting against nuclear-armed North Korea remained the alliance’s central goal.
"But there's no doubt that flexibility for regional contingency is something we would take a look at," he said.
Hegseth confirmed that the two sides were working on a joint communique addressing defence costs, strategic cooperation, and South Korea’s growing military investments. The allies also agreed that South Korea would maintain and repair U.S. naval vessels, ensuring their readiness in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to back South Korea’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines was also discussed. Hegseth said the move reflected Trump’s desire to strengthen capable allies. "He wants our allies to have the best capabilities," he said. "And because Korea has been a model ally, he's open to opportunities like that, that ensure they have the best capabilities in their own defence and alongside us as allies."
Hegseth declined to comment on details of Trump’s approval. South Korean officials have said they could launch a nuclear-powered submarine by the mid-2030s if provided with fuel from the United States.
Addressing concerns that Seoul might pursue its own nuclear weapons, Ahn reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. "Therefore, there will be no development of nuclear weapons in the Republic of Korea," he said.
Hegseth’s comments came a day after he visited the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, where he met South Korean troops and Defence Minister Ahn. The visit, which included a tour of the Panmunjom truce village, underscored what Ahn called the "symbolic and declarative" strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
The two defence chiefs held their annual Security Consultative Meeting on Tuesday, the highest-level forum for charting the future of the alliance. Discussions focused on combined defence readiness, cyber and missile defence cooperation, and adapting joint strategies to what Seoul’s Defence Ministry described as a "changing security environment and threats."
Washington is exploring a more flexible regional role for U.S. forces as part of efforts to maintain the balance of power in Asia amid growing concerns about China’s military expansion in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. Seoul has been cautious about expanding the mission of U.S. troops beyond the peninsula but continues to strengthen its own defence capabilities, including efforts to assume wartime operational control of combined forces.
South Korea, which has about 450,000 active troops, is planning its largest defence budget increase in years in 2026, partly in response to Trump’s calls for U.S. allies to pay more for hosting American forces.
On Monday, the two countries’ Joint Chiefs of Staff met and reaffirmed their cooperation with other allies to safeguard Indo-Pacific security. South Korea’s Defence Ministry described the regional environment as "complex and unstable," noting that North Korea has continued to expand its nuclear and missile arsenal despite repeated offers of dialogue from Trump and President Lee Jae Myung.
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