US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (Photo: Eugene Hoshiko/REUTERS)

On the first day of the two-day visit, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Secretary Hegseth toured the Demilitarized Zone including the Joint Security Area, which was the first joint visit to the JSA by the two nations’ defense chiefs since October 2017.

At the 57th Security Consultative Meeting on Tuesday, the two men will discuss key security issues, including North Korea policy coordination and strengthening the allies' combined defense posture.