Seoul, Nov. 3 – South Korea’s defence chief, Ahn Gyu‑back, and U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stepped onto the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Monday, the first joint visit by the two countries’ top military leaders since 2017. The move comes as the Seoul‑Washington partnership looks to reinvigorate talks with North Korea while keeping a strong joint defence stance.
The leaders toured Observation Post Ouellette, a U.N. Command base close to the Military Demarcation Line, and the Joint Security Area (JSA). The DMZ stretches 250 km long and 4 km wide, acting as the border between the North and the South. It has never been formally ended, because the 1950‑53 Korean War finished with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
It is still unclear whether Hegseth brought a specific message for Pyongyang. Yonhap said U.S. officials feared he might share a peace message instead of a warning. That would fit Seoul and Washington’s goal of opening dialogue with the stubborn regime.
After the tour, Ahn told reporters that Hegseth seemed impressed by a combined search drill by U.S. and Korean troops. He also praised the allies’ solid defence posture. Ahn said Hegseth pointed out that the joint visit to the JSA carries “symbolic” weight. The JSA has hosted historic talks between former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un, and it sits on the frontline of inter‑Korean relations.
Hegseth also noted the closeness of the South Korean Daeseongdong Freedom Village to the North’s border during the visit.
The DMZ excursion followed Hegseth’s arrival at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 65 km south of Seoul, which marked the start of his two‑day swing through Asia. He was on U.S. soil for stops in Hawaii, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam before ending in Seoul.
On Tuesday, Ahn and Hegseth will attend the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). The forum will cover key alliance topics such as the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, South Korea’s defence spending and joint military strategy.
South Korea’s President Lee Jae‑myung wants to regain wartime OPCON by the end of his five‑year term in 2030. Washington has asked Seoul to take on more security responsibilities, and the two sides are working out a conditions‑based OPCON transition. South Korea currently controls peacetime OPCON but not wartime OPCON, which remains with the U.S.
Hegseth will also meet President Lee later this week and will visit Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, the largest U.S. overseas base, to thank U.S. troops and their families for their service.
Source: ianslive
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