S. Korea, US open drive to ‘modernize' alliance in full-fledged talks
South Korea and the United States held 'full-fledged and focused' talks this week to discuss modernizing their alliance, with the aim of strengthening its capabilities and readiness posture amid an evolving regional security environment, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.
The director-general-level consultations, held Thursday and Friday in Seoul, marked the first public working-level talks on the subject, bringing together key foreign affairs and defense officials from both sides.
Kevin Kim, deputy assistant secretary for China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Taiwan at the US State Department, and Hong Jeepyo, director-general for North American affairs at South Korea's Foreign Ministry, led their respective delegations during the meeting.
'The two sides discussed ways to strengthen the US-ROK Alliance into a future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance, and to modernize the Alliance in a mutually beneficial manner in the face of an evolving regional security environment,' an English-language joint press release read.
The ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
The press statement did not share further details, including the agenda topics for the consultations.
When asked by The Korea Herald about the specific agenda topics discussed, a Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, 'Extensive consultations were held regarding the future direction of the alliance, including the strengthening of its capabilities and posture.'
The Korea Herald learned from diplomatic sources that the consultations included discussions on US calls for South Korea to increase its own defense spending and the potential recalibration of the posture of US Forces Korea.
The US side has defined alliance modernization as a shift toward jointly addressing new strategic challenges and emerging regional issues — particularly those stemming from intensifying US-China competition.
From the US side, alliance modernization includes the repositioning of US assets and defense capabilities, and the recalibration of the posture of US forces in the Indo-Pacific region, such as US Forces Korea and US Forces Japan.
The US has called for South Korea to increase its defense spending.
In late June, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, who attended the NATO summit on behalf of President Lee Jae Myung, said that President Donald Trump had delivered a request to South Korea similar to his call for NATO members to raise their defense spending to around 5 percent of GDP.
On the matter, the unnamed official said the "Korean government maintains its position that defense spending is a sovereign matter to be determined based on a comprehensive review of both domestic and international security conditions, as well as the government's fiscal capacity."
The official underscored that "Korea is among the key US allies with one of the highest levels of defense spending relative to GDP."
"South Korea has continued to steadily increase its defense budget in light of the grave security situation, including North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," the official said, adding that Seoul will continue efforts to reinforce its defense capabilities and posture.
'These efforts are expected to be shared with the US side in the course of bilateral security consultations.'
In late June, Joseph Yun, charge d'affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Seoul, said the allies should revisit South Korea's financial contributions beyond the scope of the current Special Measures Agreement — the defense cost-sharing deal between the two countries.
South Korea has financially supported the stationing of approximately 28,500 US Forces Korea personnel by covering three major categories: labor costs for USFK's Korean employees, construction expenses for military facilities, and logistical support for military operations — all under the framework of the SMA.
In response to The Korea Herald's question about whether the allies discussed South Korea's coverage of costs beyond the SMA — such as expenses for the deployment of US strategic assets — a second unnamed official dismissed the possibility of Seoul accepting such a proposal, even if it were formally raised by the US.
Focused talks amid packed diplomatic calendar
The Foreign Ministry emphasized the need for face-to-face talks to discuss alliance modernization when asked by The Korea Herald about the rationale for holding two days of in-person consultations on the matter, separate from other high-level talks with the US on Friday.
'In particular, as new administrations have recently been launched in both countries, the two sides have been consulting on the future direction of the alliance, including strengthening its capabilities and posture amid a changing security environment,' the first unnamed official said.
'Against this backdrop, the official consultations were held based on a shared understanding between the two sides of the need for more full-fledged and focused discussions.'
On Friday, South Korea, the United States and Japan held a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting — the first since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration — on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo represented South Korea in place of Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun, who is awaiting a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly.
Also on Friday, the chairmen of the joint chiefs of staff from South Korea, the US and Japan convened in Seoul for the Trilateral Chiefs of Defense meeting.
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