Hegseth praises South Korea's plans to raise its military spending

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG, Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised South Korea’s plans to raise its military spending, saying Tuesday that the Asian ally will take a larger role in defending itself from North Korean aggressions as the allies must brace for “regional contingencies.”

In this photo provided by the South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, second from left, and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, center, visit the Observation Post Ouellette near the border village of Panmunjom, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)

Modernizing the decades-long alliance between the U.S. and South Korea is a hot issue between the U.S. and South Korea, as the U.S.