Trump Calls South Korea a ‘Model Ally’ in New Indo-Pacific Security Shif

SEOUL: The U.S. is redefining its security posture in East Asia through President Donald Trump’s new “flexible realism” strategy, which centers on bolstering the military capabilities of its key allies, South Korea and Japan, to contain China.

This new framework was highlighted by U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who on Saturday praised South Korea for being a “model” ally that “will receive our special favour” for agreeing to “assume the leading role in… conventional defence.” Hegseth stated the U.S. is optimistic that other Indo-Pacific allies will follow suit.

The shift comes as the Trump administration subtly signals a willingness to engage North Korea on new terms, notably by removing the long-standing objective of denuclearization from its latest National Security Strategy. However, the core of the new strategy is immediate military preparedness among U.S. partners.

South Korea has already responded to U.S. demands, pledging to boost military spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, with a 7.5% increase slated for next year. Furthermore, in talks with Trump in October, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung secured approval to build nuclear-powered submarines, with U.S. assistance in supplying the necessary fuel, underscoring Seoul’s commitment to remaining non-nuclear weaponized.

The decision to exclude any mention of denuclearizing North Korea from the strategy—a target that has been constant since 2003—is highly contentious. Analysts suggest the omission is a deliberate diplomatic concession aimed at opening the door to talks with Kim Jong-un, who has made clear that he views North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state.

Kim told his parliament in September, “The concept of ‘denuclearisation’ has already lost its meaning,” and argued that the U.S. must recognize this reality if it desires genuine peaceful coexistence.

While Washington and Seoul officially maintain that denuclearization remains the policy goal, the strategic omission suggests the U.S. is prioritizing diplomatic engagement and cementing alliances over adhering to the previous administration’s hardline rhetoric, hoping to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough with Pyongyang, last attempted in 2019.