Pentagon says no confirmed travel plans after reports of Hegseth considering Korea visit

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Published: 27 Feb. 2025, 10:34

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC on Feb. 26. [UPI/YONHAP]

The Pentagon said Wednesday it does not have any travel plans to announce, following a news report that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is considering the possibility of a trip to Korea next month.

A Pentagon spokesperson made the remarks after the U.S. side was reported to have told Korea that the secretary would be able to visit Seoul after the Korea-U.S. combined Freedom Shield military exercise is over in mid-March.

"We don't have any travel to announce right now," the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency via email.

Seoul and Washington have shared the understanding that the Pentagon chief will visit Korea if and when he conducts his trip to the Indo-Pacific region, while no decision has been made yet, according to a source.

Should Hegseth visit Korea, it would mark the first trip to the Asian ally by a Cabinet-level U.S. official since the launch of the second Donald Trump administration last month.

Yonhap