Colby seeks visits to S. Korea, Japan in late Jan.: sources

▲ This Nov. 15, 2025, file photo shows Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby delivering a speech in Washington. (Yonhap)

Pentagon official-S Korea

Colby seeks visits to S. Korea, Japan in late Jan.: sources

SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Yonhap) -- A senior Pentagon official is mulling back-to-back visits to South Korea and Japan later this month to discuss security issues with Asian allies, sources said Wednesday.

Officials are in the process of coordinating a schedule and agenda for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby's possible trip to the region, according to the government sources.

Alliance issues, such as South Korea's defense spending increase, the envisioned transition of wartime operational control from Washington to Seoul and Seoul's push to build a nuclear-powered submarine, are likely to be discussed should Colby visit the country.

In a social media post last month, the U.S. official called for Asian allies to "do more" for their own defense and cited South Korea as the most recent case of allied countries stepping up to meet a "new global standard" for defense spending.

Seoul's defense ministry did not verify the report, but said the South Korean and U.S. defense ministries are closely cooperating on key pending issues.

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