US, South Korean defence chiefs visit Demilitarised Zone

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has landed at Osan Air Base in South Korea for talks with his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu-back on possibly readjusting the alliance between the two nations.

The two defence chiefs are set to visit the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) on the border with North Korea, and to meet with South Korean and American troops stationed there, Caliber.Az reports, citing Yonhap.

Hegseth is then expected to travel to a US military base located 65 kilometres from Seoul to thank American soldiers and their families.

The two defence chiefs will also co-chair the annual Security Consultative Meeting on November 4, to discuss coordination on North Korea and the allies’ combined defence posture.

The 250-kilometre-long DMZ serves as a buffer zone between Seoul and Pyongyang, which technically remain at war since the 1950–53 Korean conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Hegseth’s visit, the first joint trip to the DMZ by the allies’ defence chiefs since 2017, highlights the two nations’ intent to strengthen their combined military stance amid evolving regional threats.

In this context, the United States, which currently stations approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea, is reviewing the structure and mission of its forces to ensure greater flexibility in responding to Indo-Pacific contingencies, particularly around Taiwan and the South China Sea.

By Jeyhun Aghazada