Hegseth: N. Korea Focus of US Troops, But Washington To Look At ‘Flexibility’

TaiwanPlus News

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says that while the US-South Korea alliance remains focused on North Korea, the US will look at giving its troops stationed in South Korea the "flexibility" to respond to events in the wider region.

Transcript

00:00U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-bak

00:06inspect the honor guard that's been sent out to welcome them, part in modern uniform and part in

00:11historic dress. Hegseth is here in South Korea as part of a tour of Asia aimed at driving home the

00:17U.S.'s commitment to regional security. And today, he's meeting his South Korean counterpart to talk

00:23about what's next. North Korea will be the focus. Pyongyang has ignored calls for dialogue,

00:29and, as if to demonstrate its displeasure at Hegseth's arrival, fired rockets just before he

00:34headed to the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, separating the two Koreas. Washington has sought to expand the

00:41role of its roughly 29,000 troops on South Korean soil, enabling it to maintain the balance of power

00:47as China threatens Taiwan and pushes its claims to the South China Sea. But Hegseth told a reporter

00:53it's common cause against North Korea that's the core of its alliance with Seoul.

00:57There was a reason why it was fitting that we went to the DMZ yesterday. It reminds you of the core of

01:06this alliance that ultimately is holding the line and protecting our ally from the DPRK is what we

01:11have been and continue to be oriented on. Still, Hegseth also said flexibility in the face of regional

01:18contingencies is something the U.S. would look at. Though not explicitly on the agenda at this meeting,

01:24Taiwan was watching. And officials say peace in the Taiwan Strait is a matter of concern for all in the region,

01:31not just Taipei.

01:33That consensus includes the U.S. and while Hegseth's trip through the Asia-Pacific is a

01:51That consensus includes the U.S., and while Hexeth's trip through the Asia-Pacific isn't

02:03mainly about Taiwan, it shows that Asian security affairs, including Taiwan, are a focus for

02:09Washington.

02:10Andy Xue and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.

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