Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that South Korea will take a larger role in defense against North Korean aggression as Seoul has pledged to up its investments in military capabilities and bolster defense spending.

Hegseth said he is “greatly encouraged” by South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back's commitment to increase defense spending and make “greater” investments in the country’s military ability, including “critical” missile defense and space capabilities that “our forces need to preserve the peace and prevail, God forbid, in war.”

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