US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will embark on a trip to the Indo-Pacific, including a stop in South Korea, this week to underline the importance of allies increasing their defense spending and contributing to "collective defense," the Pentagon said Sunday.
Hegseth plans to visit Hawaii, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea to strengthen defense relationships and reaffirm America's commitment to "peace through strength and a balance of power in the region," it said, as Washington seeks to deepen cooperation with allies amid an intensifying Sino-US rivalry.
"Key themes will include America's focus on the Indo-Pacific, the department's priority theater; the importance of allies stepping up their defense spending and contributions to our collective defense; and the department's commitment to working closely with those that do," the Pentagon said in a release.
Collective defense refers to a principle of a multilateral alliance, under which an attack against one ally is considered as an attack against all allies. The Pentagon's release raised the prospects of the secretary redoubling calls for allies to take greater security burden in the face of China's growing assertiveness and North Korea's dogged push for advanced nuclear capabilities.
South Korea is the last leg of his multination trip. The Pentagon did not specify the exact travel dates.
Seoul's defense ministry announced that Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Hegseth will hold the two countries' annual Security Consultative Meeting in Seoul on Nov. 4 to discuss a range of issues, including policy coordination on North Korea, combined defense posture and extended deterrence, to name a few.
The Pentagon said that during the upcoming SCM session, Hegseth will "applaud Seoul's willingness to step up on defense spending and assume greater responsibility for the alliance's deterrence and defense."
"Under Secretary Hegseth's clear and strong leadership, the department recognizes the importance of the focus on the Indo-Pacific and the need to ensure peace through strength together with our allies and partners," it said. "The secretary will emphasize these themes throughout his trip."
In Hawaii, the first leg of his trip, Hegseth plans to meet with US Indo-Pacific Command leaders to ensure warfighters' readiness, while in Japan, he will highlight the importance of strengthening the bilateral alliance against growing regional threats, the Pentagon said.
In Malaysia, the secretary plans to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers' Meeting to advance regional security cooperation, while in Vietnam, he plans to deepen the bilateral defense relationship, including on defense trade and information sharing," it said. (Yonhap)
