Seoul, May 28: The operational control of wartime forces between South Korea and the United States will be transferred from Washington to Seoul under a condition-based process, according to an official from the US Forces Korea (USFK). This statement comes amid concerns raised in a report regarding the haste in executing this transfer.
The USFK official told the Yonhap News Agency, “The alliance between the US and South Korea remains committed to a conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control, and there has been no change in this policy.”
He emphasized that the focus is on strengthening joint defense capabilities and ensuring the security of both South Korea and the US mainland.
However, the official did not directly address the report claiming that a rushed transfer of OPCON could complicate the operational roles of US troops under the current joint command system in South Korea.
President Lee Jae-myung’s government aims to regain wartime OPCON by 2030, during his five-year term. In the context of South Korea, OPCON refers to who will command the military in wartime or wartime-like situations and lead military operations, controlling the Korea-US joint forces.
According to a source in Seoul, the South Korean government believes that the necessary conditions for the OPCON transfer can be met by next year. However, during a hearing last month with the US House Armed Services Committee, USFK Commander General Javier Brunson stated that both nations aim to fulfill these conditions by the first quarter of 2029. This indicates a divergence between the two countries regarding the timeline for the transfer.
Both nations agreed in October 2014 that the OPCON transfer would be based on specific conditions. These conditions include South Korea’s ability to lead the combined US-South Korea forces, its strike and air defense capabilities, and a regional security environment deemed suitable for such a transfer.
According to a report by Chosun Ilbo, USFK has indicated that if the OPCON transfer occurs without meeting military requirements, it will be challenging for US troops to operate under the control of a South Korean general. The report also suggested that such a scenario could jeopardize the existing joint command structure.
During the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, South Korea entrusted its operational control to the US-led United Nations Command. This control shifted to the Combined Forces Command in 1978. South Korea regained peacetime operational control in 1994, but wartime OPCON remains with the US.
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