The Pentagon announced Saturday that Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby will embark on a trip to South Korea and Japan this weekend as part of an effort to advance U.S. President Donald Trump’s “peace through strength” agenda.
Colby’s trip to the core Asian allies follows the Pentagon’s release on Friday of the new National Defense Strategy (NDS), which signals a potential adjustment to U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula and stresses allies’ “burden sharing” as the Trump administration seeks to focus on deterring Chinese threats.
“This visit underscores the critical importance of the Indo-Pacific region and our alliances with the Republic of Korea and Japan,” the Pentagon said in a press release, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Earlier, informed sources in Seoul said that Colby is expected to make a three-day visit to South Korea through Tuesday.
In Seoul, Colby is expected to meet senior Korean defense and security officials for talks on a range of alliance issues, such as Seoul’s push to build nuclear-powered submarines and retake wartime operational control from the United States, as well as its commitment to increasing defense spending.
