South Korea’s Defense Ministry voiced concern Friday over Washington’s push for its allies to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, calling the proposal unrealistic in light of Seoul’s already high defense expenditure.
The statement follows remarks made by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this week during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, where he reaffirmed President Donald Trump’s call for all U.S. allies — including those in Asia — to meet the new spending benchmark. The proposal significantly exceeds NATO’s current 2 percent guideline.
“Among key U.S. allies, South Korea is one of the countries that has an extremely high defense spending to GDP ratio,” the ministry said, noting its current defense budget stands at approximately 51.2 trillion won ($37.5 billion), or 2.32 percent of GDP. The ministry stressed that defense spending has steadily increased in response to ongoing threats from North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
South Korea, it added, would continue strengthening its defense posture and capabilities for both national and regional stability, but stopped short of committing to the proposed target.
During last month’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth argued that Asian allies should not be spending less on defense than their European counterparts, given the gravity of threats in the region.
Concerns in Seoul are growing amid reports that the Trump administration may seek to reduce the size of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), potentially withdrawing up to 4,500 personnel from the current 28,500 stationed in the country. A May report by The Wall Street Journal indicated that these troops could be redeployed elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific under a realigned U.S. strategy.Hegseth has reportedly tasked Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby with crafting a new national defense strategy that emphasizes burden-sharing among allies, especially in light of China’s expanding military influence.
Analysts say that raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP would place a severe fiscal strain on South Korea, requiring over 100 trillion won annually. “It won’t be an easy process,” said Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. “Such an increase would likely force budget cuts in key areas such as welfare.”
The issue could come to the fore at the upcoming NATO summit in the Netherlands on June 24–25. President Lee Jae Myung has yet to confirm his attendance, though his office said it is coordinating the possibility of holding a summit with Trump on the sidelines.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo acknowledged on Friday that U.S. pressure on allies to boost defense spending is real. He pledged continued negotiations with Washington, adding that the government would review the matter thoroughly.