SEOUL (Jan 26): US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby and South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back agreed during talks on Monday to deepen cooperation on Seoul's pursuit of a nuclear-powered submarine, South Korea's defence ministry said. Colby is visiting Seoul on his first overseas trip in the post, which comes as Washington signals it expects South Korea to take a more leading role in deterring North Korea. The Pentagon's new National Defense Strategy released on Friday said that it expects a "more limited" US role in deterring North Korea, with South Korea taking the primary responsibility. Colby, the Pentagon's top defence and foreign policy official, said in a post on X on his arrival that South Korea is a "model ally" committed to increasing defence spending in line with US' regional strategy. South Korea hosts about 28,500 US troops and last year pledged to lift defence spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), a move that Colby and other US officials have praised as strengthening Seoul's role in deterring North Korea.

Source: The Edge Markets January 26, 2026 07:18 UTC