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." In this context, Washington says is considering adjustments to the regional role of U.S. forces to support stability in Asia amid concerns over shifting security dynamics in the South China Sea.
Seoul remains measured about expanding the mission of U.S. troops beyond the peninsula but continues to advance its own defence capabilities, including plans 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.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to en...
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any future U.S. attacks, saying American energy interests and infrastructure across the Gulf could become...
Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) 2026 has begun in Azerbaijan’s capital, bringing together government representatives, business leaders, inves...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A battle over the future of the European Union’s diplomatic service is deepening divisions over who controls the bloc’s foreign policy, as EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas pushes back against plans to overhaul her service.
The Strait of Hormuz is moving into a more complicated stage of the U.S.-Iran war. Tehran says it will establish a new restricted maritime zone around the waterway, while Iran and Oman are preparing to formalise a separate shipping route intended to restore at least part of commercial traffic.
The European Union is preparing to boost investment in Greenland, as Brussels moves to deepen political and economic ties with the Arctic territory amid growing strategic competition involving the U.S., Russia and China.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said a newly commissioned destroyer will become part of the country's nuclear response system, capable of delivering what he described as “annihilating retaliatory strikes”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment