U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and ROK Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back held their first phone call on Thursday, reaffirming the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance and pledging to deepen bilateral defense cooperation. The call, which took place less than a week after Ahn’s confirmation, covered regional security issues and the allies’ combined defense posture.

Ahn described the alliance as “inseparable” and expressed hopes of evolving it into a “future-oriented comprehensive strategic alliance.” Hegseth reiterated Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to South Korea’s defense and agreed to strengthen extended deterrence coordination. The two ministers also discussed expanding cooperation in areas