MAY 11, 2026 – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth welcomed South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back to Washington today for a bilateral engagement at the Pentagon.
Hegseth began the meeting by noting that the meeting between both countries was taking place during what he described as a “pivotal moment” for the U.S.-South Korean alliance.
“Together, our nations are taking strong actions to ensure our combined readiness and to defend vital national security interests,” Hegseth told Gyu-back.
“President [Donald J.] Trump’s historic authorization of [Operation] Epic Fury clearly demonstrates this administration’s unwavering commitment to confronting threats and defending those interests with unwavering commitment in this current global threat environment,” he continued.
Hegseth went on to state that the strength of the alliance is “critical,” and that the U.S. is looking to South Korea — and all partners and allies — to stand shoulder to shoulder with this country during times of conflict.
The secretary also praised South Korea’s recent commitment to increase its defense spending.
“As I noted during my visit to Seoul last November, [South] Korea’s commitment to increase defense spending and your leadership in assuming primary responsibility for the security of the Korean Peninsula is very important,” Hegseth told his counterpart, in reference to an early November 2025 visit he made to the Korean Peninsula’s Demilitarized Zone.
Hegseth said the commitment demonstrates alliance burden sharing, the foundation of a resilient alliance, and is essential for effectively deterring mutual adversaries.
Increasing burden-sharing with U.S. allies and partners is one of the four key lines of effort that compose the 2026 U.S. National Defense Strategy, with defending the U.S. homeland, deterring China in the Indo-Pacific region through strength and supercharging the U.S. defense industrial base being the other three.
“Today, we will build on that strong momentum,” Hegseth said. “We are grateful that you are here and look forward to a highly productive meeting.”
The meeting came in advance of the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue, which will be held later this week in Washington. That annual event, which most recently took place Sept. 23-24 in Seoul, seeks to advance alliance cooperation and the national interests of both the U.S. and South Korea.
By Matthew Olay
Pentagon News