The United States Department of Defense has introduced a new standard for ally countries in Asia, including Korea, to spend 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense expenditure. This effectively demands an increase of nearly double the current defense expenditure.
Sean Parnell, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, noted in a statement sent in response to Yonhap News’s inquiry on the 19th (local time) that “As Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, mentioned during the Senate hearing and Shangri-La Dialogue, European allies are setting global standards for Asian allies,” and he stated, “The standard is to spend 5% of GDP on defense expenditure.”
Parnell asserted, “Considering China’s military expansion and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, it is common sense for allies in the Asia-Pacific region to align with the pace and standards of defense expenditure at the European level,” adding, “This aligns with the security interests of those countries and provides a fair burden-sharing for the American people.”
A U.S. Department of Defense official clarified that this standard for increasing defense expenditure also applies to Korea.
Currently, the United States is demanding NATO member countries to spend 5% of GDP on defense expenditure, and it has stated that it will apply the same requirement to Asian allies, including Korea and Japan.
As of 2023, Korea spent approximately 66 trillion won, 2.8% of its GDP, on defense expenditure. According to the U.S. demand, defense expenditure should nearly double.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing the previous day, Secretary Hegseth stated, “I expect member countries to commit to spending 5% of GDP on defense expenditure at the next NATO summit,” emphasizing, “Now, all allied nations, including those in Asia, have the same standard.”
He pointed out earlier in his keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue that “the current situation of Asian allies spending less on defense than Europe in the face of threats from China and North Korea can no longer be justified.”
Parnell added at the end of the statement, “These demands are the very approach of President Trump, and are common sense.”