Secretary of US Defense Department Pete Hegseth Photo: VCG

It was announced by the US Department of Defense on Friday that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth would soon depart for a trip to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Japan. This marks his first official visit to the Asia-Pacific region since taking office. Notably, Hegseth's itinerary differs significantly from those of his predecessors, as South Korea is absent from the list, while the Philippines - an unusual addition - has been included. Behind these changes are considerations related to the political turmoil in South Korea and adjustments in US strategic priorities.

The immediate reason for Hegseth's decision to exclude South Korea is likely the country's ongoing political instability. A South Korean court ruled on Monday to restore Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to office, a move that comes as the nation awaits a ruling in the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol. This critical week in South Korean politics coincides with Hegseth's first Asia-Pacific visit, making it unsurprising that South Korea was excluded from his itinerary. Given the uncertain political landscape, skipping South Korea was a practical decision for Hegseth.

South Korea was not entirely unprepared for Hegseth's decision to omit it from his first Asia-Pacific tour. The US Department of Energy has designated South Korea a "sensitive" country, a spokesperson said on March 14, after Yoon briefly imposed martial law and amid talk of Seoul potentially developing nuclear weapons, according to Reuters. This situation further illustrates how political turmoil has hindered South Korea's ability to engage effectively with the new US administration. By the time reports emerged that Hegseth was planning his first "Indo-Pacific" visit, South Korean officials had already suspected that he might not include their country. On March 17, South Korean Defense Ministry Spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu stated during a regular briefing that Hegseth's visit to South Korea had been "under discussion between the two countries but its postponement was unavoidable due to scheduling on the US side."

Another key reason for skipping South Korea lies in the fundamental shift in US foreign policy under Donald Trump's second term. Unlike former president Joe Biden, who focused on strengthening existing alliances and forming new ones, the new US administration has adopted a policy of strategic retrenchment, aiming to reduce US commitments to allies. However, this does not mean a complete US withdrawal from global affairs; rather, the US is scaling back its engagement in Europe and the Middle East while concentrating efforts on containing China in the "Indo-Pacific" region. This strategic realignment explains why the Philippines was added to Hegseth's itinerary.

From the US' perspective, the Philippines plays a far more critical role in countering China than South Korea. Geographically, the Philippines is strategically positioned - its northern region is close to the island of Taiwan, while its western coastline faces the entire South China Sea. In recent years, the US has secured access to nine military bases in the Philippines and has been ramping up infrastructure development at these sites to bolster its ability to counter China. Furthermore, the Ferdinand Marcos Jr administration in the Philippines has been highly cooperative with US efforts to contain China, readily acting as a frontline ally. As a result, the Philippines has become increasingly significant in Washington's geopolitical calculations.

In contrast, South Korea's importance in the US' strategic framework has diminished. During his first term, Trump sought to establish a new US-North Korea relationship and achieve denuclearization - although these goals remained largely unfulfilled, he never abandoned them. On March 13, Trump publicly expressed his willingness to reestablish relations with North Korea's leadership. 

Additionally, given South Korea's political turmoil, South Korea may shift its foreign policy toward stabilizing relations with both China and North Korea. This potential shift further diminishes US interest in using South Korea as a tool to contain China. Moreover, even though South Korea remains a very important ally for Washington, its geographic position - far from both the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea - may appear to be less strategically valuable compared to the Philippines and Japan for the current US administration. Given these factors, it is likely that Seoul, currently, will not become a priority in Washington's regional strategy.

The author is executive editor-in-chief of Shipborne Weapons magazine and advisor at the Southern Defense Think Tank. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn