Han is ASEAN? ... Trump 2nd Term Defense Secretary Nominee's 'Absurd Answer'

Mentioning South Korea, Japan, and Australia in Response to ASEAN Membership Question

At a confirmation hearing, Pete Hegseth, the nominee for U.S. Secretary of Defense in the second Trump administration, was reprimanded after mentioning South Korea as a member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).

According to the AP News, during the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing held in Washington DC on the 14th (local time), Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth asked Hegseth how many ASEAN member countries there are and if he could name one.

In response, Hegseth said, "I cannot state the exact number of ASEAN member countries," and mentioned South Korea, Japan, and Australia. Senator Duckworth then said, "None of those countries are ASEAN members," and admonished him to "study up a bit."

ASEAN consists of 10 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The U.S. Secretary of Defense attends the annual ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, and the U.S. Secretary of State attends the Foreign Ministers' Meeting. These meetings conclude with a summit attended by the U.S. President.

The United States has treaties with ASEAN member countries Thailand and the Philippines and has made efforts to curb China's expanding influence in ASEAN. President Joe Biden has also described ASEAN as a core part of the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy.