Hegseth praises South Korea's plans to raise its military spending and boost defense capabilities

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised South Korea's plans to raise its military spending, saying Tuesday that the Asian ally will take a larger role in defending itself from North Korean aggressions as the allies must brace for regional contingencies. Modernizing the decades-long alliance between the U.S. and South Korea is a key issue between the U.S. and South Korea, as the U.S. apparently wants South Korea to increase its conventional defense capabilities so that Washington can focus more on China.