U.S. urges Asian allies to raise defense budgets

The Trump administration said June 19 that its Asian allies, including South Korea, should spend up to 5 percent of their GDP on national defense.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a written response to inquiries from The Dong-A Ilbo that alliance standards for U.S. allies in Europe and Asia are being revised. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a Senate budget hearing on June 18 and at the Shangri-La Dialogue that allies should increase their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.

The push to raise defense budgets could spark controversy, as it may be linked to a potential readjustment of U.S. forces in South Korea amid efforts to deter China. The message appears to suggest South Korea should take on more of its own defense costs to protect against North Korea, possibly signaling a future reduction in U.S. troop levels for strategic flexibility. At the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 31, Hegseth said Asian allies must increase defense spending promptly to counter a real and imminent threat from China. He also said at the Senate hearing that he expects allies to commit during the NATO Summit, scheduled the following week, to spending 5 percent of GDP on defense and related investments.

South Korea’s defense budget for 2025 stands at about 61.2 trillion Korean won (KRW), equivalent to 2.39 percent of its nominal GDP in 2024. To reach the 5 percent target, defense spending would need to exceed 130 trillion won as early as 2026, potentially forcing cuts to essential programs such as welfare and education.

Some speculate that President Trump may directly urge South Korea to increase its defense spending at the NATO Summit beginning June 24 in The Hague, Netherlands. The South Korean presidential office is reportedly considering sending President Lee Jae-myung to the summit as it works to reschedule a South Korea-U.S. summit. A high-ranking Korean official said the pressure to raise defense spending applies to all allies, and the government is carefully weighing how to respond.


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com