Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
US defense policy chief calls for greater allied responsibility
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, left, shakes hands with Elbridge Colby, U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense
By Bahk Eun-ji
Elbridge Colby calls South Korea 'model ally' as OPCON talks loom
Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, met South Korea’s top foreign and defense officials Monday and briefed them on Washington’s newly released National Defense Strategy (NDS), which emphasizes Seoul’s leading role in defending the Korean Peninsula.
Colby discussed alliance issues with South Korean officials, including the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), defense cooperation and the division of costs for stationing U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula.
He attended separate meetings with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back during his visit to Seoul, shortly after the Pentagon’s 2026 NDS stated that South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with more limited U.S. support.
During a meeting with Colby, Cho said the two countries had made meaningful progress through last year’s summits.
“Through two summits last year, the two leaders achieved important results in setting a mutual and forward-looking direction for the alliance,” Cho said, according to the foreign ministry. “Based on that foundation, our diplomatic and defense authorities should maintain close communication and cooperation to produce concrete outcomes as early as possible.”
Cho also mentioned the country's nuclear-powered submarine program.
“Cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines strengthens our deterrence capabilities and contributes to the alliance,” he said, adding that working-level discussions should move forward to produce specific implementation measures.
Elbridge Colby, U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, attends a meeting at Camp Humphreys, a U.S. Forces Korea base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, as part of his visit to South Korea. Courtesy of U.S. Forces Korea
Colby also met with Ahn at the Ministry of National Defense to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, cooperation on nuclear submarine construction, OPCON transfer and efforts to strengthen South Korea’s defense capabilities, the defense ministry said.
Ahn said agreements reached by the two leaders last year, including the joint fact sheet and the outcomes of the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), marked a turning point for the alliance.
Those agreements serve as the new blueprints for a modernized alliance, pivoting from traditional defense to a high-tech nuclear partnership. The fact sheet aligns the two nations on critical supply chains like semiconductors and artificial intelligence, while the outcomes of SCM — the annual summit of defense chiefs — integrate South Korean conventional forces into U.S. nuclear planning for the first time to deter North Korean threats.
“The joint fact sheet agreed upon by our leaders and the results of the 57th SCM were a historic turning point in the development of the alliance,” Ahn said. “We should make this year one in which our defense cooperation produces tangible results.”
Ahn emphasized that OPCON transfer was essential to establishing a South Korean-led defense posture on the peninsula.
“Wartime operational control transfer is essential to achieving South Korean-led defense,” he said, calling for closer communication and cooperation to accelerate efforts to meet the required conditions, including the development of a clearer road map.
“Maintaining a robust combined defense posture is essential for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Ahn added.
Ahead of the meetings, Colby outlined Washington’s view of the alliance in a post on social media platform X, calling South Korea a “model ally.”
“It’s a privilege to arrive here in South Korea on my first international trip as Under Secretary of War for Policy,” he wrote. “The ROK is a model ally that has committed to meet the global standard of spending 3.5% of GDP on defense and take greater responsibility for its own defense in the context of our alliance, in line with the National Defense Strategy.”
Colby added that he looked forward to discussions with his South Korean counterparts on “how to modernize and advance our vital alliance.”
He reiterated his commitment to strengthening defense cooperation with Seoul, according to the defense ministry. It added that Colby again referred to South Korea as a model ally and expressed his intention to further deepen bilateral defense cooperation.
Later in the day, Colby visited Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. military base overseas, before continuing his regional tour.