South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (left) shakes hands with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Monday. (Defense Ministry) The defense chiefs of the United States and South Korea agreed Monday to step up cooperation on key alliance issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control and alliance modernization.
The agreement came during talks between South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon near Washington.
The meeting marked the first defense ministerial talks between the allies in about six months, since the 57th Security Consultative Meeting was held in Seoul in November.
According to a joint statement released after the meeting, the two sides discussed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. They also reaffirmed that the upcoming Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue, to be held in Washington later this week, plays an important role in advancing alliance cooperation and the national interests of both countries.
The statement said Hegseth stressed “the importance of adopting realistic and practical approaches” to deter threats and strengthen the allies’ combined defense posture while modernizing the alliance.
“The two ministers agreed to maintain close communication and promote cooperation in areas of mutual security interests,” the statement said.
Ahn explained South Korea’s recent efforts to increase defense spending, strengthen key military capabilities and reinforce Seoul’s leading role in defending the Korean Peninsula, according to the ministry.
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (second from left) and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (second from right) hold talks alongside South Korean and US officials at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Monday. (Defense Ministry) 
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (left) and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shake hands before their talks at the Pentagon, near Washington on Monday. (Defense Ministry) The talks came amid growing attention over several unresolved security issues between the allies, including Seoul’s push to complete the wartime OPCON transition before the end of President Lee Jae Myung’s term and discussions surrounding cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines.
The OPCON issue has recently exposed differences in timelines between the allies.
South Korea has reportedly been reviewing a target of completing the transition by 2028, while Gen. Xavier Brunson, who commands the allies’ Combined Forces Command, recently referred to the second quarter of fiscal year 2029 during a congressional hearing in Washington.
Alliance modernization has also emerged as a key issue as the administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to expand the role of allies in regional security and encourage greater burden-sharing.
During his opening remarks, Hegseth highlighted Washington’s emphasis on allied contributions, referring to the Trump administration’s “peace through strength” approach and recent US military operations against Iran.
“In the current global threat environment, the strength of our alliance is critically important, and the United States expects its partners to stand shoulder to shoulder with us,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth also praised Seoul’s pledge to increase defense spending and assume a greater role in the defense of the Korean Peninsula, calling it “an example of burden-sharing that all US partners should emulate.”
The Pentagon separately said expanding burden-sharing by allies and partners is one of the four core pillars of the upcoming 2026 US National Defense Strategy, alongside defending the US homeland, deterring China in the Indo-Pacific through strength and strengthening the US defense industrial base.
Ahn, in his remarks, said Seoul was also moving in step with Washington’s efforts to strengthen military readiness.
“We are also making our utmost efforts to secure key defense capabilities through increased defense spending and realize a Korean-led defense of the Korean Peninsula,” Ahn said.
Ahn added that the Korea-US alliance has remained a reliable foundation even during difficult periods and pledged continued close cooperation between the allies.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com