US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday began his visit to South Korea by touring the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea with his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back. 

Hegseth and Ahn received a briefing from military officials at Observation Post Ouellette, which is located near the DMZ. They also visited the Panmunjom border village, where the armistice that paused the 1950-1953 Korean War was signed.

This was the first time in eight years that a US Secretary of Defense has made such a visit. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, Hegseth was expected to meet with Korean and American troops stationed at the DMZ.

The 250-kilometer-long (roughly 150 miles) DMZ serves as a buffer between North and South Korea. The two countries are technically still at war because the Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

The defense chiefs are scheduled to hold the annual Security Consultative Meeting on Tuesday. This is the highest-level forum for discussing the two countries' military alliance.

On Monday, the two countries' chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff held their annual meeting to discuss strategic and operational directions for their combined forces. They agreed that the regional security environment is "complex and unstable," the South Korea's Defense Ministry said.

What topics are expected to be raised during Hegseth's visit?

The ministry also announced that on Tuesday Ahn and Hegseth will discuss joint defense readiness against nuclear-armed North Korea, as well as cooperation on regional security, cybersecurity, and missile defense.

According to the South Korean ministry, they are expected to discuss plans to strengthen the alliance between the two countries in response to the "changing security environment and threats."

Washington's goal of reshaping the role of US troops in Korea is also expected to be a key topic in the talks.

Amid concerns about Chinese activities in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, US officials have signaled a plan to increase the flexibility of the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea.

This would allow them to potentially operate outside the Korean Peninsula in response to a broader range of threats, such as defending Taiwan and containing China's growing military reach.

What is Seoul's position on the matter?

Although South Korea has resisted changing the role of US troops, it has worked to expand its defense capabilities over the past two decades.

The goal is to take command of combined US-South Korean forces in wartime. South Korea has 450,000 troops.

In 2026, the country plans to increase its defense budget by the largest amount in years. This is partly in response to US President Donald Trump's demand that Washington's allies pay more for the US military presence in their countries.

North Korea has ignored invitations from Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to engage in dialogue. Instead, the country has significantly advanced its missile and conventional military capabilities.

Earlier, as part of his tour of Asia, Hegseth attended a meeting with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia and visited Vietnam.

Edited by: Rana Taha