Seoul: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth embarked on a trip to the Indo-Pacific, including a stop in South Korea, as the Pentagon said he seeks to use it to renew calls for allies to increase their defense spending and contributions to "collective defense."

According to Yonhap News Agency, Hegseth plans to visit Hawaii, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea to strengthen defense relationships and reaffirm America's commitment to "peace through strength and a balance of power in the region," as Washington strives to deepen cooperation with allies amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

"Key themes will include America's focus on the Indo-Pacific, the department's priority theater; the importance of allies stepping up their defense spending and contributions to our collective defense; and the department's commitment to working closely with those that do," the Pentagon said in a release.

Collective defense refers to a principle of a multilateral alliance, under which an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all allies. The Pentagon's release raised the prospects of the secretary redoubling calls for allies to take a greater security burden in the face of China's growing assertiveness and North Korea's push for advanced nuclear capabilities.

South Korea is the last leg of his multi-nation trip. The Pentagon did not specify the exact travel dates. Seoul's defense ministry announced that Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Hegseth will hold the two countries' annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul on Nov. 4 to discuss a range of issues, including policy coordination on North Korea, combined defense posture, and extended deterrence.

The Pentagon said that during the upcoming SCM session, Hegseth will "applaud Seoul's willingness to step up on defense spending and assume greater responsibility for the alliance's deterrence and defense."

In Hawaii, the first leg of his trip, Hegseth plans to meet with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command leaders to ensure warfighters' readiness, while in Japan, he will highlight the importance of strengthening the bilateral alliance against growing regional threats, the Pentagon said.

In Malaysia, the secretary plans to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM-Plus) to advance regional security cooperation, while in Vietnam, he plans to deepen the bilateral defense relationship, including on defense trade and information sharing.