U.S. pushes Asia toward 5 percent defense goal

The U.S. Department of Defense has said that Asian allies, including South Korea, should increase their defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product, aligning with the standard set for NATO countries in Europe. At a congressional hearing Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the “5 percent of GDP for defense” goal, expected to emerge at next week’s NATO summit, should become a standard for all allies. On Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell echoed the message, saying, “Our European allies are now setting the global standard for our alliances, especially in Asia.”

U.S. pressure to raise defense budgets, already influential in Europe, now appears to be shifting toward Asia. While the move was anticipated, applying a 5 percent GDP target across the region raises serious concerns about feasibility. Even South Korea—ranked fifth in the world in conventional military power—currently spends only about 2.3 percent of its GDP on defense. Doubling that figure would be a formidable challenge. As with the sweeping tariffs imposed during former President Donald Trump’s first term, the 5 percent target is widely seen as a pressure tactic rather than a realistic benchmark.

During his presidency, Trump pushed NATO members to meet the existing 2 percent target, drawing strong backlash from European nations. But after the war in Ukraine, many of those countries have since met the goal. Facing conflict close to home and lacking the means to respond without U.S. backing, many now feel compelled to accept an even higher bar.

Asia, however, presents a different picture. Most countries in the region spend only around 1 percent of GDP on defense, and unlike NATO’s collective security framework, Asia is built on individual bilateral alliances, making a uniform spending standard difficult to implement. During Trump’s first term, Washington focused on demanding steep increases in host-nation support from South Korea and Japan. More recently, it has floated different targets: 10 percent for Taiwan, 3 percent for Japan, and 3.5 percent for Australia.

For South Korea, a defense spending hike may be unavoidable. Global instability continues to rise, while North Korea expands not only its nuclear and missile programs but also its conventional forces. The Trump administration appears prepared to hand over wartime operational control to Seoul, reduce U.S. troop presence, or shift their mission toward deterring China. While future alliance talks may prove difficult, one thing is clear: South Korea must strengthen its independent defense posture to complement the U.S. nuclear umbrella.