Seoul, September 14 (Daily Kiran) : South Korea is set to engage in regular defense talks with the United States this week, as the country considers military deployment options in the Hormuz Strait. The South Korean Ministry of Defense announced the upcoming discussions on Monday.
The Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will take place from Wednesday to Friday in the southeastern port city of Busan. This biannual meeting will be led by South Korea’s Deputy Defense Minister for Policy, Kim Hong-chol, and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, George Lemur. Other senior officials from both defense and foreign affairs will also participate.
The agenda is expected to cover several critical security issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), the joint defense framework between the two nations, and collaboration in the shipbuilding sector. Although neither country has officially confirmed it, discussions may also address the potential deployment of South Korean forces in the Hormuz Strait. The U.S. has long urged South Korea to contribute to securing this vital maritime route.
Last week, South Korea dispatched a team to the United Arab Emirates to assess the security situation around the Hormuz Strait. This move has fueled speculation that the country is seriously considering sending military forces to the area. However, the government has clarified that no final decision has been made regarding this matter.
Iran has publicly warned that any military deployment in the region could have “serious consequences.”
Another significant topic for discussion during this week’s meeting will be the transfer of wartime military control (OPCON). South Korea aims to regain this authority from the U.S. and achieve full control over its military forces. The country hopes to complete this process before President Lee Jae-myung’s five-year term ends in 2030, or ideally, as early as next year.
Seoul is also working towards verifying the “full operational capability” of joint military forces and aims to establish a target year for the OPCON transfer during the upcoming defense chiefs’ meeting this fall.
The KIDD was initiated in 2011 and serves as a comprehensive defense dialogue at senior levels between the two allied nations. This will be the second KIDD meeting of the year, following the previous session held in Washington in May. Notably, this meeting marks the first time it is being held outside of Seoul or Washington, with Busan chosen to reflect the growing collaboration in the shipbuilding sector.
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