South Korea holds welcome ceremony for Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attended a welcoming ceremony in Seoul, inspecting a guard of honour while standing on a convertible with his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu-back.

Hegseth arrived in South Korea on Monday and travelled to the border with the North -- the first time in eight years that a US defense secretary has made such a visit. Ahn and Hegseth "reaffirmed the strong combined defense posture and close cooperation between South Korea and the US," Seoul's defense ministry said in a statement.