A senior US defence official is set to visit South Korea and Japan next week as part of Washington’s ongoing efforts to strengthen security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby will travel to Seoul for a three-day visit early next week, followed by a stop in Japan, according to sources cited by Yonhap News Agency. During his visit to South Korea, Colby is expected to hold discussions on key alliance-related issues, including Seoul’s proposal to build nuclear-powered submarines and the planned transfer of wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea.
Talks are also likely to focus on South Korea’s defence spending, with the country having committed to raising its military budget to 3.5 per cent of its gross domestic product in line with legal requirements. The conditions-based handover of wartime operational control is expected to remain a major point of discussion between the two allies.
In addition, Colby is expected to underline the importance of trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan, particularly in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region. He may also explain the recently released US National Security Strategy and Washington’s expectations from its Asian allies.
