U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Saturday that North Korea poses a formidable threat to the Indo-Pacific region, as senior military voices suggest American forces in South Korea may need to prepare for a broader regional role amid rising tensions with China.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth urged Asian allies to dramatically increase defense spending, pointing to NATO members’ pledge to spend 5% of their GDP on defense while warning that countries in Asia face “an even more formidable threat, not to mention North Korea.”

Although South Korea was scarcely mentioned during the session, and did not