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US Vice President J.D. Vance (left) shakes hands with Elbridge Colby, nominee for US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4. Vance and Colby are alumni of Yale Law School. / AFP-Yonhap News

Elbridge Colby, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and a key architect of Washington’s new defense strategy, stated that South Korea and the United States are aligned on the need to modernize their alliance to address the evolving security environment in the Indo-Pacific. His remarks come as the first summit between President Lee Jae-myung and President Donald Trump in Washington is expected to feature security and defense spending as major agenda items alongside last month’s trade deal.

On July 31 (KST), Colby posted on X that “the US and South Korea are closely aligned on the need to modernize the alliance to meet regional security challenges,” adding, “We will work closely with Seoul to secure a strategically sustainable alliance prepared to defend against shared threats.” He praised South Korea’s “willingness to take a leading role in defending against North Korea” and called its defense spending “a model.”

Colby’s comments highlight that the modernization of the alliance includes greater strategic flexibility, extending beyond deterring North Korea to addressing potential regional conflicts, such as a Taiwan contingency. A senior Korean official recently acknowledged possible changes to the role of US Forces Korea, citing global security trends, technological shifts, and China’s growing influence.

The upcoming Lee-Trump summit is likely to cover significant issues, including an increase in Korea’s defense spending, a larger share of US troop stationing costs, and expanded roles for USFK, reflecting Colby’s emphasis on “joint defense against shared threats” and a “strategically sustainable alliance.”

Colby, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy during Trump’s first term, co-authored the 2018 National Defense Strategy draft that pivoted US focus from counterterrorism to great power competition with China and Russia. He is now leading the development of a new National Defense Strategy, set for release later this summer, which will define future US defense spending and force deployment.

A grandson of former CIA Director William Colby, Elbridge Colby is known in Washington as a “bridge figure” and spent part of his childhood in Japan. He has advocated for prioritizing resources to counter China and has argued that Taiwan’s defense is critical given its proximity to Japan and the Philippines. His 2021 book “The Strategy of Denial” underscores this stance and even suggested Russia could be a potential partner in an anti-China coalition.