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Defense chiefs of South Korea, U.S. set to visit DMZ for 1st time in 8 years

Published: 03 Nov. 2025, 10:25

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, left, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shake hands during the Asean Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 1 in this photo provided by the Defense Ministry. [YONHAP]

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were set to visit the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas on Monday, officials said, a day ahead of their annual security talks.

Their planned visit to the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the DMZ is part of the Pentagon chief's two-day visit to South Korea. It is his first trip to South Korea and is the last leg of his Asia swing that includes stops in Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.

It would mark the first joint visit to the JSA by the allies' defense chiefs since October 2017, when then Defense Minister Song Young-moo and then U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis visited the area.

As part of his stay in the country, Hegseth is expected to meet Korean and American troops stationed at the DMZ and visit Camp Humphreys, a sprawling U.S. military base, to thank service members and families.

Ahn and Hegseth will jointly hold the allies' annual defense dialogue, called the Security Consultative Meeting, on Tuesday to discuss a range of alliance issues, such as their policy coordination on North Korea and combined defense posture.

Yonhap