Seoul: The presidential office announced on Tuesday its vigilant observation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's uncommon visit to Beijing. Kim is set to participate alongside Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping at a significant military parade.

According to Yonhap News Agency, when questioned about Kim's visit to Beijing for the parade scheduled on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated that President Lee Jae Myung is "likely receiving much closer and detailed information." Kang refrained from commenting on whether the National Security Council had convened, citing confidentiality concerns.

Regarding media reports suggesting that Seoul has reached an agreement with Washington to progressively increase its annual defense spending to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), Kang mentioned that no specifics have been confirmed and that negotiations are "still under way." Currently, South Korea's defense budget stands at approximately 61.2 trillion won (US$44.2 billion), or 2.32 percent of GDP, according to the defense ministry.

Kang further stated that "all negotiations on tariffs, security and other issues in the second Trump administration will inevitably proceed in a different manner from the past, and they will always remain in progress." She noted that the potential defense spending increase is anticipated to be part of a broader "package deal" encompassing trade, economic, and security matters.