US-South Korea alliance focused on North Korea but 'flexibility' needed: Hegseth
The US defence secretary says the two sides are still working on a joint communique expected to address talks about defence costs among other issues.
The United States will look at "flexibility" for US troops stationed in South Korea to operate against regional threats, but the core of the alliance with Seoul will remain focused on deterring North Korea, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday.
He spoke alongside his South Korean counterpart during a visit to South Korea that earlier included a trip to the Demilitarised Zone on the border with North Korea.
When asked whether the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea might be used in any conflicts beyond the peninsula, including with China, Hegseth told a briefing that protecting against North Korea is the goal of the alliance.
"But there's no doubt that flexibility for regional contingency is something we would take a look at," he said.
Hegseth said the two sides were still working on a joint communique expected to address talks about defence costs and other issues, adding they had discussed South Korea making greater military investments.
The allies had also agreed to have South Korea maintain and repair US ships, allowing them to stay in the area and be ready if needed, Hegseth said.
North fired artillery rockets during Hegseth visit: South Korea
North Korea fired multiple artillery rockets an hour before Hegseth visited the border separating it from the South, Seoul's military said on Tuesday.
Pyongyang also fired similar weapons minutes before South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
The JCS said they had recently "detected about 10 artillery rockets fired into the northern part of the West Sea", Seoul's name for the Yellow Sea.
The weapons were fired at around 3:00 pm (0600 GMT) on Saturday and around 4:00 pm (0700 GMT) on Monday.
"Details of the projectiles are currently being closely analysed by South Korean and US intelligence authorities," the JCS added.
Hegseth visited the heavily fortified border dividing North and South Korea on Monday, becoming the first Pentagon chief in eight years to do so.
He toured Panmunjom, the symbolic truce village where troops from both Koreas stand face-to-face, following a stop at Observation Post Ouellette overlooking the Demilitarised Zone.
Hegseth and South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu-back "reaffirmed the strong combined defence posture and close cooperation between South Korea and the United States", Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement.