(Seoul) U.S. Defense Secretary John Hergses visited the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom on the inter-Korean border on Monday. This marks the first visit by a U.S. defense secretary to the border in eight years.
According to a video released by the South Korean Ministry of National Defense and a report by Yonhap News Agency, Hergses arrived at the border region aboard a U.S. Army helicopter. Together with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek, he inspected the northernmost guard post on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), received a briefing on the current operational situation, and visited a meeting place inside Panmunjom.
A statement from the South Korean Ministry of National Defense said that the two defense ministers used this opportunity to reaffirm the robust ROK-U.S. joint defense posture and the willingness to cooperate.
Hergses arrived in South Korea on Monday (November 3) and will hold the 57th U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting with Ahn Gyu-baek in Seoul on Tuesday. This is the highest-level regular dialogue mechanism between the two countries in the defense field, aimed at charting the direction of the military alliance and how South Korea can defend against a nuclear-armed North Korea.
The South Korean Ministry of National Defense said the two defense ministers will discuss joint defense preparations against North Korea, as well as cooperation in regional security, cybersecurity, and missile defense. The statement said the two sides are also expected to discuss how to jointly address the "evolving security environment and threats" by developing their alliance.
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It is speculated that the defense ministers of both countries will also discuss alliance-related matters raised at the US-South Korea Gyeongju summit, specifically including nuclear-powered submarines, the transfer of wartime operational control from the US to South Korea, and an increase in South Korea's defense budget.
Given concerns about China's activities in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, Washington is considering making the role of US forces in South Korea more flexible in order to maintain a balance of power in Asia.
US officials have hinted at plans to allow US forces to operate outside the Korean Peninsula to address broader threats, such as defending Taiwan and containing China's growing military influence.
South Korea has consistently opposed changing the role of US forces stationed there. Meanwhile, South Korea has been working to enhance its defense capabilities over the past 20 years, aiming to command a US-South Korea combined force in wartime.
South Korea also plans to significantly increase its defense budget by 2026, partly in response to calls from US President Trump for South Korea to shoulder more of the costs of US forces stationed there.
Hergses arrived in South Korea after visiting Vietnam and Malaysia. Trump also made his first trip to the Asia-Pacific region since taking office in January last week. He expressed regret at the time that he was unable to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his trip to Asia due to scheduling conflicts, but he also said he would consider returning to Asia to meet with Kim.
Trump last met with Kim Jong Un in June 2019 during his first term as president. At that time, he arrived at Panmunjom and briefly crossed the inter-Korean border, becoming the first sitting US president to set foot on North Korean soil.
