Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth Makes Historic Visit to Korean Border After 8-Year Gap

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a significant visit to the inter-Korean border on Monday, marking the first such trip by a Pentagon chief in eight years.

The high-profile visit to Panmunjom, the unique location where North and South Korean soldiers directly face each other, included South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back accompanying Hegseth. Their itinerary also covered Observation Post Ouellette, a strategic vantage point overlooking the border area.

According to a statement from Seoul's defense ministry, both officials "reaffirmed the strong combined defense posture and close cooperation between South Korea and the US" during their visit.

Hegseth's border tour follows US President Donald Trump's recent Asia trip, where he made multiple overtures to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. These diplomatic gestures received no response from Pyongyang.

The last interaction between Trump and Kim occurred during Trump's previous administration when he visited Panmunjom in June 2019. During that historic meeting, Trump became the first sitting US president to step onto North Korean soil, briefly crossing the frontier before returning with Kim for bilateral discussions.

Before Trump's landmark 2019 visit, former Defense Secretary James Mattis had visited the Demilitarized Zone separating the Korean peninsula in October 2017.