US's Hegseth visits South Korea, tours border with North

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday began his visit to South Korea by touring the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea with his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back.

Hegseth and Ahn received a briefing from military officials at Observation Post Ouellette, which is located near the DMZ. They also visited the Panmunjom border village, where the armistice that paused the 1950-1953 Korean War was signed.

This was the first time in eight years that a US Secretary of Defense has made such a visit. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, Hegseth was expected to meet with Korean and American troops stationed at the DMZ.