South Korea says defence spending against GDP already ‘very high’

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (left) talks to Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on May 31, 2025. - Photo: Yonhap

SEOUL: South Korea’s Defence Ministry on Friday (June 20) hinted at concerns over an announcement by the Donald Trump administration that its Asian allies are subject to the “new standard” of spending 5 percent of gross domestic product on defence.

South Korea’s defence spending, which stands at some 51.2 trillion won ($37.5 billion) or 2.32 percent of its GDP, is already “very high,” the ministry noted in a statement.