Pentagon No. 3 praises Seoul’s defense budget hike as eyes turn to Tokyo

The Pentagon’s No. 3 official has heaped praise on South Korea for being the first U.S. treaty ally outside of NATO to hike defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product — a move expected to impact Japan’s own spending plans.

“South Korea has now committed to spending 3.5% of its GDP on defense as soon as possible,” U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby wrote Friday on X. “It is America’s first non-NATO treaty ally to commit to the standard set by President (Donald) Trump at the Hague Summit.”

Colby, referring to Trump’s June meeting with NATO leaders at The Hague, said that South Korea “is proving it is truly a model ally for Americans.”