On August 16, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby urged Asian and other allies to take on more responsibility to achieve “sustainable collective defense.” Colby emphasized that “peace through strength” requires allies, particularly in Asia, to increase defense contributions. His remarks come ahead of the August 25 summit at the White House between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. The Trump administration is expected to press Seoul to raise its defense spending and contribute more to the costs of maintaining the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. The Pentagon has stated that Asian allies, like NATO members, should meet the “global standard” of allocating 5 percent of their GDP to defense by 2035. Currently, South Korea’s defense budget is about 61.2 trillion won (US$44.2 billion), or roughly 2.32 percent of its GDP.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250816000200315?section=national/diplomacy
