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Elbridge Colby, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Defense Policy, will visit South Korea and Japan to discuss alliance modernization and trilateral security cooperation. This visit marks Colby's first foreign trip since taking office in April 2024.

Discussions will focus on South Korea's nuclear submarine acquisition, wartime operational control transfer, and defense budget increases. The U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) indicates that South Korea can take primary responsibility for deterring North Korean threats, supported by limited U.S. resources.

Colby may address the U.S. position on expanding military flexibility in South Korea and emphasize the need for South Korea and Japan to play a larger role in countering China. The NDS also stresses burden-sharing among allies, aligning with Trump's strategy for a modernized U.S.-South Korea alliance amid growing North Korean threats.