Colby lauds Seoul's greater defense responsibility drive, urges collective stance against China
Published: 26 Jan. 2026, 19:36
Updated: 27 Jan. 2026, 18:46
![U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby speaks at the Sejong Institute in central Seoul on Jan. 26. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/27/35a68ce8-cea3-45a6-a720-5c5976bb7afa.jpg)
U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby speaks at the Sejong Institute in central Seoul on Jan. 26. [YONHAP]
Elbridge Colby, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for policy, on Monday said President Lee Jae Myung’s decision to take greater responsibility for South Korea’s conventional defense was “clear-eyed and sage,” framing it as a model of allied burden-sharing as Washington urges partners to strengthen deterrence against China.
Although Colby's message focused on pushing allies to share more of the security burden as part of efforts to counter China, the Lee administration has pursued the transfer from the United States of wartime operational control — the authority to command South Korean troops during an armed conflict — and higher defense spending from a self-reliant defense perspective rather than as part of a broader China containment strategy.
Speaking at a policy lecture at the Sejong Institute in central Seoul on Monday, Colby emphasized that stability in the Indo-Pacific cannot rest on U.S. power alone and must be supported by the will and military strength of allies.
Over the course of his 20-minute address, Colby mentioned China nine times.
He said the United States seeks a stable and dignified peace with China and plans to maintain respectful communication to reduce the risk of miscalculation and misunderstanding.
At the same time, he stressed that Washington does not underestimate the potential consequences of such engagement and remains committed to deterrence through denial and a peace‑through‑strength approach.
![U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby speaks at the Sejong Institute in central Seoul on Jan. 26. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/27/4cf16ee0-c1cb-4789-8805-b11efa078794.jpg)
U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby speaks at the Sejong Institute in central Seoul on Jan. 26. [YONHAP]
He referenced the latest U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS), which prioritizes blocking Chinese access along the first island chain in the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines.
That emphasis on hard deterrence was reflected in his praise for President Lee’s pledge to raise defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP and take greater responsibility for conventional defense operations. Colby called South Korea a “model ally.”
"Such adaptation, such clear-eyed realism about the situation that we face and the need for greater balance in the sharing of burdens will ensure that deterrence remains credible, sustainable and resilient in this changing world," he said.
His comments came amid growing pressure on U.S. allies to increase their own defense capabilities.
Colby’s itinerary — visiting Seoul before Tokyo — also suggested to some analysts a move to pressure Japan on its defense budget.
He stressed that stability cannot be achieved through hope alone and said burden-sharing must be fair, backed by the will and military strength of our allies.
Security analysts say the United States frames allied burden‑sharing in the Indo‑Pacific as part of a military buildup to deter China.
The newly released U.S. NDS identifies “defending the U.S. Homeland and deterring China” as Washington’s top security priorities while pledging “critical but more limited support to allies."
It also states that the United States will update its posture on the Korean Peninsula.
![The U.S. military base Camp Humphreys is seen in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 26. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/27/2693b367-381e-4412-8773-9dbbc2b44150.jpg)
The U.S. military base Camp Humphreys is seen in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 26. [YONHAP]
Colby emphasized the importance of building resilient and dispersed military postures in the Indo‑Pacific — including in Japan, the Philippines and on the Korean Peninsula — which analysts interpret as indicating that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) is considered part of the overall deterrence effort against China. In this context, some observers say changes to the structure or mission of USFK may be inevitable.
The South Korean government, however, has drawn a clear line between alliance modernization and broader China policies. Seoul continues to approach alliance modernization from a self‑reliant defense perspective and insists that the principal role of USFK remains deterrence against North Korea.
“In unstable international circumstances, self‑reliant defense is fundamental,” President Lee said on Saturday. “South Korea, which spends more on defense than North Korea’s entire economy and ranks fifth in military strength, cannot fail to defend itself.”
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu‑back also distanced Seoul from expanding USFK’s mission beyond defending the peninsula, telling lawmakers last year that he “does not agree” with widening the role of U.S. troops to include China deterrence.
Colby also met with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in the morning, followed by a discussion with Ahn. A dinner between Colby and Ahn was also scheduled.
Defense Minister Ahn and Colby agreed that cooperation between Seoul and Washington on building a nuclear‑powered submarine would “strengthen South Korea’s independent defense capabilities and mark a major milestone in the alliance,” the Defense Ministry said.
Ahn also proposed developing a road map to accelerate the transfer of wartime operational control and outlined the Lee administration’s policy vision for North Korea.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG, SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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