Seoul, Oct 28 (NationPress) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides North and South Korea. He will also hold talks with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during his upcoming trip to the Asian nation next week, as confirmed by a senior US defence official on Tuesday.

Hegseth’s visit will span two days, commencing next Monday, marking his first trip to South Korea since he assumed office earlier this year. This trip to Korea is the final destination in his Asian tour, which has included visits to Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Upon his arrival, the secretary, accompanied by Seoul's Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back, intends to visit the Joint Security Area (JSA) located within the DMZ. They will have the opportunity to interact with both Korean and American troops stationed there, as detailed by the official during a media briefing reported by Yonhap News Agency.

This visit will be historic as it marks the first joint visit to the JSA by the defence chiefs of the two nations since October 2017, when former Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo and former US Defence Secretary James Mattis were present.

The focal point of Hegseth's trip will be the annual defence dialogue between the two nations, known as the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), scheduled for November 4 at the defence ministry in Seoul. A meeting with President Lee is also on his agenda.

These discussions aim to advance plans regarding alliance modernization, which includes defence spending and South Korea taking on greater responsibility for the alliance's conventional defence strategy against North Korea, according to the official. ROK is the abbreviation for South Korea's formal title, the Republic of Korea.

Following the SCM, Hegseth and Ahn will announce an extension of defence industrial cooperation, although specific details were not provided.

During the defence discussions, both parties are expected to address several critical topics, including Seoul's initiative to regain wartime operational control and Washington's request for its Asian ally to increase defence spending and share more of the regional security burden as they strive to modernize their long-standing alliance.

Additionally, Hegseth plans to visit Camp Humphreys, a significant US military installation located about 65 kilometers south of Seoul, to express gratitude to service members and their families.

His trip to Asia coincides with the Pentagon's renewed emphasis on urging Indo-Pacific allies to enhance their contributions to collective defence amid escalating tensions in the Sino-US rivalry over maritime security, trade, and technological supremacy.

The official indicated that the threats posed by China will be a central theme throughout Hegseth's engagements during this journey.

"The department remains focused on deterring China," he stated. "The secretary has directed the department to prioritize reestablishing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, and we remain committed to that goal."

In Tokyo on Wednesday, Hegseth is set to hold a bilateral meeting with the newly appointed Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to discuss bolstering defence capabilities, refining command and control structures, and enhancing joint training exercises.

In Kuala Lumpur, the secretary plans to participate in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, a significant regional defence forum, and engage in a series of bilateral and multilateral discussions with counterparts from countries including Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia.

Upon arriving in Hanoi on Sunday, Hegseth will meet with Vietnamese Defence Minister Phan Van Giang and other senior leaders in Vietnam.

"The secretary will emphasize the measures the department is implementing to restore deterrence in the region by enhancing our military posture and working closely with our allies and partners to strengthen their defence capabilities," the official noted.

"He will highlight the significance of our allies increasing their contributions to our collective defence."