U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone on November 3 and met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a trip U.S. officials say is intended to reshape the role of roughly 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea amid a changing security environment and regional threats from China and Taiwan. Hegseth is scheduled to co-chair the annual Security Consultative Meeting with his South Korean counterpart on November 4, where officials plan to address a range of alliance priorities including joint readiness against a nuclear-armed North Korea.
During the visit, Hegseth and South Korean officials toured Panmunjom and Observation Post Ouellette, receiving briefings and meeting Korean and American troops stationed at the DMZ. The stop included a visit to the Joint Security Area, marking the first joint defense chief visit to the JSA since October 2017. U.S. officials framed the trip as part of a broader effort to adapt the posture and responsibilities of U.S. forces on the peninsula to evolving regional dynamics.
The Security Consultative Meeting, which the U.S. defense secretary will co-chair on November 4, is expected to focus on alliance deterrence and preparedness as Pyongyang advances missile and conventional capabilities. U.S. and South Korean officials have signaled that discussions will explicitly address joint defense readiness in the face of North Korea’s nuclear development. In addition to operational planning, Hegseth and South Korean defense chief Ahn Gyu-back are slated to announce an expansion of defense industrial cooperation after the SCM session, reflecting an emphasis on strengthening interoperability and defense production ties between the two allies.
South Korea is preparing for a significant increase in defense spending for 2026, planning its largest budget boost in years. Officials have linked the increase to the need to respond to North Korea’s stepped-up missile programs and improvements in its conventional forces, underscoring Seoul’s intent to bolster deterrence and sustain alliance capabilities on the peninsula.
The visit to the DMZ and the upcoming SCM come as Washington weighs adjustments to how its forward-deployed forces operate in East Asia. U.S. officials have described the presence of about 28,500 troops in South Korea as a central element of regional stability, but have emphasized that the forces’ roles may be reshaped to address a changing security environment, including perceived challenges tied to China and developments related to Taiwan. The precise nature of any adjustments to force posture or command arrangements was not detailed during the November 3 visit.
Hegseth’s trip to the Korean Peninsula is part of a broader Asia swing that includes visits to Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam, reflecting Washington’s effort to reaffirm security ties and consult with partners across the region. The delegation’s activities at the DMZ, including engagements with frontline troops and briefings at key observation posts, were designed to convey the alliance’s continuity of commitment while preparing for forthcoming policy and industrial announcements.
The Security Consultative Meeting on November 4 will provide the first formal setting for allied leaders to publicize the planned expansion of defense industrial cooperation and to outline concrete measures for enhancing joint defense readiness. Following the SCM, Hegseth is expected to continue his regional diplomatic and defense engagements in Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam as part of a sequence of consultations aimed at addressing shared security challenges in East Asia.