Pentagon chief visits Korean border, first in 8 years

SEOUL, Nov 03 (AFP): Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth travelled to the border between North and South Korea on Monday, the first time in eight years that a US defence secretary has made such a visit.
South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back accompanied his US counterpart to Panmunjom, the only place where soldiers from the two Koreas stand face-to-face, after the pair visited a hill known as Observation Post Ouellette.
Ahn and Hegseth "reaffirmed the strong combined defence posture and close cooperation between South Korea and the US," Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement.
Hegseth's visit follows US President Donald Trump's repeated overtures to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his Asia tour last week, which went unanswered by Pyongyang.
Trump last met Kim during his first term in the White House, travelling to Panmunjom in June 2019.