Pentagon Sends Under Secretary Colby to Seoul and Tokyo After New Defense Strategy Release
Updated (3 articles)
Colby’s Weekend Diplomatic Mission to Seoul and Tokyo The Pentagon confirmed that Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby will travel this weekend to South Korea and Japan as part of President Donald Trump’s “peace through strength” agenda, staying three days in Seoul and meeting senior defense officials before proceeding to Tokyo [1]. The visit follows a Jan. 24 press release and is intended to reinforce U.S. ties with two core Asian allies while briefing them on the freshly released National Defense Strategy [1]. Colby’s itinerary includes briefings on the new strategy for South Korean and Japanese leaders, signaling a coordinated diplomatic push [1].
New National Defense Strategy Drives Alliance Burden‑Sharing Talk The National Defense Strategy unveiled on Friday emphasizes greater burden sharing, urging allies to assume more responsibility against Chinese threats [1]. It outlines a shift where South Korea would lead primary deterrence against North Korea, with the United States providing “critical, but more limited” support [1]. This policy backdrop frames Colby’s outreach, positioning the trip as a practical effort to explain the strategy’s implications for regional security [1].
Seoul Agenda Highlights Nuclear Submarines and OPCON Transfer During the three‑day stay, Colby is expected to discuss South Korea’s plan to build a nuclear‑powered submarine and a conditions‑based handover of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States to Seoul [2]. The talks will also address South Korea’s commitment to increase defense spending as part of the alliance’s burden‑sharing expectations [2][1]. These issues reflect long‑standing alliance concerns and align with the new global standard for defense contributions that Colby highlighted in a recent social‑media post [2].
Trilateral Coordination with Japan Reinforces Indo‑Pacific Strategy Colby will meet Japanese officials to stress the importance of security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, linking the dialogue to the broader U.S. National Security Strategy [2]. Briefings in Tokyo will complement those in Seoul, underscoring a coordinated approach to deterrence and regional stability [1]. The emphasis on trilateral ties aims to present a united front against North Korean aggression and Chinese influence in the Indo‑Pacific [2].
Sources
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1.
Yonhap: Pentagon Announces Elbridge Colby’s South Korea, Japan Trip After New Defense Strategy Release: Details the official press release, links the trip to the freshly unveiled NDS, outlines a three‑day Seoul schedule, and notes briefings in Tokyo, emphasizing the shift toward allied primary deterrence.
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2.
Yonhap: Pentagon official to visit Seoul amid alliance modernization push: Focuses on agenda items such as nuclear‑powered submarine development, conditions‑based OPCON handover, and the broader push for defense‑spending burden sharing, while highlighting trilateral ties with Japan.
Timeline
May 2026 – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth tasks Under Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby with drafting a new National Defense Strategy that prioritizes burden‑sharing with allies and counters Chinese pressure in the Indo‑Pacific, setting the policy foundation for later diplomatic trips. [1]
Jan 7, 2026 – Pentagon officials say Colby is weighing back‑to‑back visits to South Korea and Japan later in the month. Planned talks would cover Seoul’s rising defense budget, the conditions‑based handover of wartime operational control, and its push for a nuclear‑powered submarine. Colby previously urged Asian partners to “do more” for their own defense, calling South Korea a recent example of meeting a “new global standard” for defense spending. [3]
Jan 23, 2026 – The Pentagon announces that Colby will spend three days in Seoul early next week, focusing on South Korea’s nuclear‑submarine ambition, the OPCON transition, and increased defense‑spending as part of alliance burden‑sharing. He pledges to stress trilateral security cooperation with Japan, tying the dialogue to the newly released U.S. National Security Strategy. [2]
Jan 23, 2026 – The Department of Defense unveils the new National Defense Strategy, stating that South Korea can assume primary deterrence against North Korea with “critical, but more limited” U.S. support, marking a shift toward allied primary responsibility and providing the strategic backdrop for Colby’s outreach. [1]
Jan 24, 2026 – The Pentagon confirms Colby’s weekend trip to South Korea and Japan as part of President Donald Trump’s “peace through strength” agenda, aiming to reinforce ties with two core Asian allies. He will remain three days in Seoul, meeting senior defense officials to review the nuclear‑submarine program, OPCON handover, and defense‑spending commitments, and will brief officials in Seoul and Tokyo on the new strategy. [1]
Jan 24‑26, 2026 (weekend) – During his three‑day stay, Colby conducts high‑level meetings and briefings, explaining how the United States will play a “reduced but critical” role in deterring North Korean aggression while urging allies to shoulder greater burden, thereby putting the NDS’s burden‑sharing emphasis into practice. [1]