South Korea on Friday pushed back against U.S. demands to sharply increase its defense budget, saying its current spending is already among the highest relative to GDP for U.S. allies.
“Among key U.S. allies, South Korea is one of the countries that has a high defense spending ratio compared to its GDP,” the Defense Ministry said, according to Yonhap News.
The remarks followed comments from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said all U.S. allies should aim to spend 5% of GDP on defense. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Thursday this figure now represents the “global standard.”
South Korea currently spends 2.32% of GDP on defense, totaling 61.2 trillion won ($44.8 billion) for 2025 — up 3.1% from the previous year. Reaching 5% would mean doubling that figure to 132 trillion won.
Seoul stressed that it has steadily increased its defense spending in response to ongoing threats from North Korea. “We continue to strengthen our defense capabilities amid a stern security environment,” a Foreign Ministry official said.
Roughly 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea. While there have been reports of possible troop withdrawals, Washington has denied any such plans.
President Donald Trump, speaking during his campaign last year, said South Korea would be paying “$10 billion a year” for the U.S. military presence. “We have 40,000 troops in harm’s way, very serious, because you have North Korea’s very serious power. They have tremendous nuclear power,” Trump said.
As pressure mounts over military spending and shifting defence priorities, top U.S. and South Korean generals have met in Seoul to reaffirm their alli...
At a major Beijing forum, President Xi Jinping highlighted the need to bridge cultural divides through dialogue, promoting a global network that suppo...
As Washington prepares to impose new tariffs, Japan has voiced concern over global trade tensions, urging stronger support for multilateral economic s...
European Union member states have asked the European Commission to keep secret their national strategies for phasing out Russian oil and gas by the en...
Chinese and Russian foreign ministers met in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the Iranian nuclear program and regional security, emphasizing dialogue over forc...
As pressure mounts over military spending and shifting defence priorities, top U.S. and South Korean generals have met in Seoul to reaffirm their alliance and address growing tensions surrounding cost-sharing and regional security.
At a major Beijing forum, President Xi Jinping highlighted the need to bridge cultural divides through dialogue, promoting a global network that supports peaceful coexistence and sustainable development amid worldwide uncertainty.
As Washington prepares to impose new tariffs, Japan has voiced concern over global trade tensions, urging stronger support for multilateral economic systems during ASEAN talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Chinese and Russian foreign ministers met in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the Iranian nuclear program and regional security, emphasizing dialogue over force amid recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,500-year-old city in northern Peru that likely served as a key trade hub connecting ancient coastal, Andean, and Amazonian cultures.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
On July 4, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Khankendi, reaffirming the deep-rooted alliance between the two nations.
Beijing has urged the European Union to tone down its criticism and adopt “less protectionist” policies, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused China of flooding global markets and enabling Russia’s war economy.
Russian-origin aluminium made up 66 % of available London Metal Exchange inventories in June, down three points from May, while Indian metal climbed to 34 %, the exchange’s latest data show.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has launched a fresh investigation into TikTok after the platform revealed that some European users’ data had briefly been stored on Chinese servers, contradicting earlier assurances.
As pressure mounts over military spending and shifting defence priorities, top U.S. and South Korean generals have met in Seoul to reaffirm their alliance and address growing tensions surrounding cost-sharing and regional security.
At a major Beijing forum, President Xi Jinping highlighted the need to bridge cultural divides through dialogue, promoting a global network that supports peaceful coexistence and sustainable development amid worldwide uncertainty.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment