Seoul: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas and meet with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during his visit to the Asian country next week, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hegseth is set to kick off a two-day visit to South Korea next Monday, marking his first trip to the Asian country since taking office early this year. South Korea is the final destination of his Asia tour, which includes stops in Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Upon arrival in Korea, the secretary, along with Seoul's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, plans to visit the Joint Security Area inside the DMZ and have the opportunity to meet with Korean and American troops stationed there, the official noted during a briefing to the press traveling with Hegseth.
The highlight of Hegseth's visit to South Korea is the two countries' annual defense dialogue, known as the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), scheduled to take place at the defense ministry in Seoul on November 4. He also plans to have a meeting with President Lee while in Seoul. "These discussions will further advance consultations on alliance modernization, including defense spending, and the ROK assuming the primary responsibility for the alliance's conventional defense against North Korea," the official stated. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.
Following the SCM, the secretary and Defense Minister Ahn are expected to announce an expansion of defense industrial cooperation, although details were not provided. During the defense talks, both sides are anticipated to address a range of pending issues, including Seoul's push to regain wartime operational control and Washington's request for South Korea to increase defense spending and take on a greater burden for regional security as they aim to "modernize" their long-standing alliance.
During his stay in Korea, Hegseth will also visit Camp Humphreys, a large U.S. military base located approximately 65 kilometers south of Seoul, to express his gratitude to service members and their families, as per the official's statement.