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Defense chiefs of South Korea, U.S. set to discuss alliance issues in key security talks

Published: 04 Nov. 2025, 08:55

In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, shakes hands with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back at the southern side of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone in South Korea on Nov. 3. [MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE]

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States were set to hold their annual security talks in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss a range of security issues, such as how to modernize the decadeslong alliance between the two nations.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will hold the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) at the Defense Ministry in Seoul. It marks their first co-chairing of the event since they both took office earlier this year.

This year's meeting may include discussions on key alliance and security issues, including the "strategic flexibility" of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea as well as Seoul's push to retake wartime operational control (Opcon) from Washington.

Both sides are also widely expected to consult on Seoul's push to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine following relevant discussions between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in their summit talks last week.

South Korea has vowed to regain Opcon from Washington within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term that ends in 2030.

Hegseth has called Seoul's push for Opcon transfer "great" and described South Korea as a "combat credible" partner, while noting the need for allies to take greater security responsibilities.

In response, Ahn has said he will make the "utmost" efforts to ensure the retaking of Opcon from Washington while maintaining a strong and steadfast alliance.

Meanwhile, during their summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju on Wednesday, Lee openly asked Trump to allow his country to secure nuclear fuel supplies for conventionally armed submarines to better track North Korean and Chinese vessels, saying it would ease the operational burden for U.S. forces.

Trump said in a social media post the following day that he has given South Korea approval to build a nuclear-powered submarine at a Philadelphia shipyard, run by South Korea's Hanwha Ocean.

On the Korean Peninsula, the meeting comes as North Korea continues to deepen its military alignment with Russia while advancing its nuclear and missile weapons, disclosing the new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile during a major military parade last month.

Seoul's Defense Ministry has outlined policy coordination on North Korea, combined defense posture, extended deterrence as well as naval maintenance, repair and overhaul as key agendas set to be discussed in this year's defense bilateral talks.

"Both sides plan to discuss overall pending issues to advance the alliance in a future-oriented and mutually beneficial direction to respond to the changing security environment and threats," the ministry earlier said in a release.

The U.S. Department of War also announced Hegseth's attendance at the SCM and said he will "applaud Seoul's willingness to step up on defense spending and assume greater responsibility for the alliance's deterrence and defense."

Hegseth arrived in South Korea on Monday afternoon for his two-day visit, the final leg of his Asia swing that includes visits to Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Upon his arrival, he visited the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas with Ahn, in what marked the first joint visit to the JSA by the defense chiefs of the allies in eight years.

Yonhap