Hegseth arrives in South Korea for alliance talks, planned DMZ visit
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at Osan Air Base in South Korea on Monday for talks with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, with discussions expected to focus on possible adjustments to the U.S.–South Korea alliance and regional security coordination.
The two defense chiefs are also scheduled to make a joint visit to the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the Korean Peninsula — the first such visit by allied defense leaders since October 2017, News.Az reports, citing Yonhap.
During his two-day trip, Hegseth is set to meet Korean and American troops stationed near the DMZ and visit Camp Humphreys, a major U.S. base located about 65 kilometers south of Seoul, to thank service members and their families.
On Tuesday, Hegseth and Ahn will co-chair the annual Security Consultative Meeting to discuss alliance priorities, North Korea policy coordination, and combined defense readiness.
The 250-kilometer-long DMZ serves as a buffer between South and North Korea, which remain technically at war since the 1950–53 Korean conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
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