US Reaffirms Defense Treaty with South Korea

Jeoffrey Maitem - : Oct 21, 2025 - : 11:56 pm

A senior U.S. Air Force official reaffirmed Washington’s decades-old defense treaty with Seoul, emphasizing that the alliance remains strong more than 70 years after it was forged.

Delivering his remarks at the U.S. Pavilion booth — a hub for American companies showcasing defense and aerospace technology at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025 — Maj. Gen. David Piffarerio, Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of the Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, said Monday that “the Mutual Defense Treaty was forged in blood — blood that we shed together in war.”

Under the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty, the U.S. maintains a continuous military presence in South Korea to deter aggression, particularly from North Korea.

“Predominantly, I would say a big part of the things that have changed is the global environment and the threats that we face. Certainly, what they have in North Korea is considerably different from what I remember them having,” Piffarerio said.

“And then now you're seeing somewhat of the collaboration between essentially autocrats between North Korea, Russia and now China. But what hasn't changed is, I would probably argue, the tight relationship that we have with this country and with all of our allies and partners,” he added.

In addition to reaffirming that the treaty remains strong, he emphasized, “There’s a difference between an ally and a partner — and South Korea is certainly a key ally of the United States.”

“And that won't change and hasn't changed. We still have over 28,000 US forces on this peninsula. It's still a key ally and a very important region. I think it's also an extreme honor to be back here at ADEX because this exhibition is a reflection of the strength of our relationship,” Piffarerio explained.

“We've been together now for over 70 years, and I expect us to remain together for another 70,” he added.

While there are advancements in fifth-generation fighters, autonomous weapons, and precision munitions, Piffarerio said there is also growing interest in space capabilities and partnerships within that domain.

“So, I wanted to thank the industry for all the new capabilities that you bring, our efforts to make our fighting forces more interoperable, not just within, but also with our allies and partners, and to ensure that the US and our allies and partners remain the most credible, most lethal, most interoperable, capable and ready fighting forces on the planet,” he said.

Featuring over 600 defense companies from 35 countries, Seoul’s ongoing largest arms exhibition will run until October 24.

Us-air-force / South-korea / North-korea /