▲ This photo, provided by the U.S. Forces Korea, shows Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby delivering a lecture organized by Sejong Institute in Seoul on Jan. 26, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Pentagon official-S Korea

Colby says S. Korea's decision to do more for conventional defense reflects 'clear-eyed' understanding of security

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- A senior Pentagon official on Monday called President Lee Jae Myung's decision to increase defense spending and do more for its own defense one based on a "clear-eyed and sage" understanding of the security environment.

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby also said Seoul's move will help put the decades-long alliance with the United States on a "sound footing" over the long haul, as he is visiting South Korea to discuss the alliance modernization and other security-related issues.

His trip came after the Pentagon released a new National Defense Strategy (NDS) last week that assessed South Korea is capable of taking "primary" responsibility to deter North Korea with "critical, but more limited" U.S. support.

"President Lee's decision to increase defense spending to 3.5 percent ... and to assume greater responsibility for South Korea's conventional defense reflects a clear-eyed and sage understanding of how to address the security environment that we all face and how to put our storied and historic alliance on sound footing for the long haul," Colby said in a forum in Seoul.

He was referring to President Lee Jae Myung's vow to achieve self-reliant defense and spend 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product -- a voluntary pledge -- in response to Washington's calls for allies to raise defense spending. U.S. officials, including Colby, have called South Korea a "model" ally.

Colby noted how Trump has put an emphasis on "shared responsibility rather than permanent dependency" and touted South Korea as a "great" country that has fully understood and taken action for it.

He cited such a commitment as the reason for choosing South Korea as the destination for his first international trip in his role, reaffirming that the country is a model ally and that Washington is "optimistic" about their alliance.

"Such adaptation, such clear-eyed realism about the situation that we face and the need for greater balance in the sharing of burdens will ensure that deterrence remains credible, sustainable and resilient in this changing world," he said at the forum, organized by the Sejong Institute.

Colby arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a three-day visit, including talks with key South Korean security officials, including the foreign and defense ministers.

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