Hegseth cleans Memorial, honors Korean War sacrifice

A man in a blue top and sneakers appeared at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on May 24, carrying a yellow brush. As he rolled up his sleeves and began scrubbing the statues, the children with him joined in, dusting them off with solemn expressions.

The man was U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, 45 (pictured). He visited the memorial with his children and a group of volunteers two days before Memorial Day, the national holiday of remembrance observed on May 26.

For Hegseth, the visit was about “reminding kids what the Korean War was about, why it mattered, and why we’re still there.” He added, “We need to teach children what it means to remember so that they can pass it on to the next generation.”

Hegseth also posted a video of the cleanup on X, writing, “We will never forget those who sacrificed for our freedom.” Doug Collins, the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, also took part in the visit.

The event drew heightened attention, following reports that a second Trump administration may consider reducing U.S. troops in South Korea. On May 22, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s team is weighing a plan to relocate 4,500 of the roughly 28,000 American troops stationed in South Korea to Guam or other Indo-Pacific locations.

The next day, both the Pentagon and U.S. Forces Korea denied the report. “The United States remains firmly committed to defending the Republic of Korea,” the Pentagon said. “We look forward to working with the new (South Korean) government to maintain and strengthen our unbreakable alliance.” South Korea’s Defense Ministry also dismissed the claim, stating that “nothing has been discussed.”


Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com