Overview
- After talks in Seoul, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said South Korea will assume more of the conventional burden against North Korea as it boosts military investment.
- President Lee Jae Myung is seeking an 8.2% defense budget increase to accelerate autonomous drones, precision-guided missiles, and combat robots.
- Hegseth said the U.S. will coordinate with the State and Energy departments to advance South Korea’s plan for nuclear-powered submarines.
- Allies deepened industrial ties with an agreement to maintain and repair U.S. warships in South Korean shipyards.
- Washington reaffirmed extended nuclear deterrence as Seoul rejected pursuing its own nuclear arms, following South Korea’s report of North Korean artillery fired toward western waters.