Hegseth Says US-South Korea Alliance Will Stay Focused on Deterring North Korea

The Pentagon chief praised South Korea for its plans to raise military spending and called the Asian country a ’model ally' of the United States.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (L) shakes hands with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back at the 57th Security Consultative Meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 4, 2025. South Korea Defense Ministry via AP

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Nov. 4 that the U.S.–South Korean alliance will stay focused on deterring North Korea, but will also keep other regional threats in view.

After the annual security talks with his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, Hegseth told reporters, “There’s no doubt flexibility for regional contingencies is something we would take a look at, but we are focused on standing by our allies here and ensuring the threat of the DPRK is not a threat to the Republic of Korea and certainly continue to extend nuclear deterrence as we have before.”