Hegseth Meets South Korea’s Kang and Australia’s Marles at ADMM-Plus in Cebu

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held separate talks with South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines, he said on his official X account on October 28, 2026. The meetings place two of Washington’s core Indo-Pacific alliances at the centre of his regional visit.

U.S.-South Korea talks: “peace through strength”

Describing his meeting with Kang as “great,” Hegseth wrote that the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance is built on “peace through strength,” citing ready forces, decisive capability and combined lethality that deter aggression. He added that America stands with allies that are “serious about their own defense.”

According to the Seoul Economic Daily, the talks were the first in-person encounter between the two ministers and were expected to be largely introductory. The newspaper reported that the transfer of wartime operational control and U.S. restrictions on intelligence sharing related to North Korea were likely topics. The ADMM-Plus is Kang’s first international conference since taking office.

OPCON transfer timeline in focus

Seoul had aimed to complete verification of the future Combined Forces Command’s full operational capability at this year’s Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) and to set a target year for the transfer, the paper reported. The two sides reportedly still differ on whether the conditions have been met, with Washington taking the more conservative view. The SCM could take place around late December, according to the report.

Australia: “optimizing the Alliance”

In a separate post, Hegseth said it was a pleasure to meet Marles, who also serves as Australia’s defence minister, adding that the two countries are optimizing the alliance “to strengthen deterrence and deliver results.” No further details of the discussion were released. The United States and Australia are partners in the AUKUS security pact, under which Australia plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

Regional security on the ADMM-Plus agenda

The ADMM-Plus brings together ASEAN defence ministers and their counterparts from eight dialogue partners, including the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. The Philippine Star reported that Hegseth is also due to meet Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and that the South China Sea is expected to feature in discussions. China was invited, but its attendance had not been confirmed, the newspaper said. Hegseth also met Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during the trip.

Featured image: DoD photo by Master Sgt. Ken Hammond, U.S. Air Force / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons