Hegseth visits DMZ, as US seeks flexible South Korea troops to counter China
The Pentagon chief’s visit highlights the strong US-South Korea alliance as they discuss adapting US troop roles to regional security shifts
His visit to the heavily fortified DMZ came ahead of talks expected to involve Washington’s goal of reshaping the role of US troops in South Korea.
Hegseth landed in the border area in a US Army helicopter and met South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back, according to footage released by the South Korean defence ministry.
“I believe it has symbolic and declarative significance itself, demonstrating the strength of the South Korea-US alliance and the combined defence posture,” Ahn said of Hegseth’s visit to the DMZ.
The defence chiefs are scheduled to hold the annual Security Consultative Meeting on Tuesday, the highest-level forum at which the two countries chart the course of their military alliance and South Korea’s defence against nuclear-armed North Korea.
Ahn and Hegseth would discuss combined defence readiness against North Korea and cooperation on regional security and cyber and missile defence, the South’s Defence Ministry said.