South Korea, US review plans to transfer wartime command to Seoul

ISTANBUL

South Korea and the US have reviewed the progress on meeting conditions for a transfer of wartime operation command (OPCON) to Seoul from Washington, a South Korean official said Wednesday.

The two sides discussed issues in their envisioned "conditions-based" OPCON transfer during the biannual Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue held in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday, Yonhap News reported, citing the official.

The meeting marked the first under President Lee Jae Myung, who was elected in snap polls in June after his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted over trying to impose martial law.

His administration earlier expressed its desire to reinstate wartime control during its time in power, in its five-year policy roadmap blueprint announced by the State Affairs Planning Committee.

The previous meeting was held at the Pentagon in early May.

After the review, both parties agreed that "significant" progress has been made toward meeting the three key conditions for the transfer, which include Seoul’s ability to lead the allies’ combined forces and strengthening strike and air defense capabilities.

South Korea is one of the US’ oldest military allies, hosting more than 28,500 American soldiers on the Korean Peninsula, while the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff holds peacetime OPCON, and the US-led Combined Forces Command holds operational control during war.

During the meeting between South Korea's acting Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Yoon Bong-hee and John Noh, US deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, both sides "evaluated overall defense cooperation aimed at modernizing the South Korea-US alliance in a reciprocal and forward-looking manner amid a changing regional security environment and held in-depth discussions over alliance issues," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

They also discussed policy coordination on North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities and maintaining a readiness posture against Pyongyang, according to the official.

ISTANBUL

South Korea and the US have reviewed the progress on meeting conditions for a transfer of wartime operation command (OPCON) to Seoul from Washington, a South Korean official said Wednesday.

The meeting marked the first under President Lee Jae Myung, who was elected in snap polls in June after his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted over trying to impose martial law.

His administration earlier expressed its desire to reinstate wartime control during its time in power, in its five-year policy roadmap blueprint announced by the State Affairs Planning Committee.

The previous meeting was held at the Pentagon in early May.

They also discussed policy coordination on North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities and maintaining a readiness posture against Pyongyang, according to the official.