US urges Seoul to step up military investment, reaffirms alliance

On July 18, a senior U.S. diplomat reiterated Washington’s unwavering security commitment to South Korea, while also urging Seoul to make the “highest-level” efforts to further enhance its national defence capabilities.

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, Mignon Houston, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that the United States views South Korea as a "strong and capable partner" but emphasized that it is essential for Seoul to take greater responsibility for its own defense, especially in light of the Trump administration’s broader push to deter growing threats from China.

"South Korea is a strong and capable partner. President Trump believes that South Korea has the ability to ensure, at the highest level, that its defence capabilities are refined and strong. This is something we know we need," Houston said.

"The United States is going to meet with our military capabilities, with our force readiness as some of the best in the world. We will make that commitment, but we also want to see our partners do the same as it relates to bringing in the highest level of support and commitment they can for their defence capabilities," she added.

Her remarks come amid growing expectations that President Trump’s administration will press South Korea to shoulder a greater share of its defence burden, including potentially revisiting the bilateral cost-sharing deal inked last year. The Trump administration has consistently advocated that U.S. allies increase their military spending.

When asked directly about a possible renegotiation of the defence cost-sharing agreement, Houston said, “We will continue with our military cooperation in a defensive capacity, being transparent, being appropriate with our risk measures, but we want to see countries meet us at the same place. That’s the only solution to ensuring that we have the highest standards for defence measures in place so that we can deter any threat before it arises."

She also stressed that North Korea’s nuclear threat remains a top priority for the U.S. government. “Addressing North Korea’s nuclear quandary remains a priority issue that Washington has not taken our eyes off of,” Houston noted, adding that the Trump administration is eager to work “very closely” with the newly inaugurated South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

Her comments come as the Pentagon continues to call on Asian allies to move toward a higher defence spending target. Recently, member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) agreed to a U.S.-backed pledge to spend at least 5 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2035.

Currently, South Korea’s defence budget stands at approximately 61.2 trillion won, or $43.9 billion, representing about 2.32 per cent of its GDP, according to figures from Seoul’s defence ministry.

By Tamilla Hasanova