Defense Chiefs Meet in Cebu Over Wartime Operational Control
Seoul, Oct 28: Top defense officials from South Korea and the United States held a meeting on Wednesday in the Philippines, where they focused on the timing of wartime operational control (OPCON) handover and efforts to reduce differences between the two allies.
South Korea's defense ministry said Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held their discussions in Cebu. The city was selected to host the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, a forum organised by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The encounter was the first formal exchange between the two men since Kang assumed his post in September. More information about what was discussed is expected to be released at a later stage.
The meeting has attracted wide attention because Seoul is pushing for wartime command to be returned before President Lee Jae-myung's five-year term concludes in 2030. Washington has signalled caution about hurrying the process to fit a political schedule.
The U.S. administration has said it intends to transfer wartime OPCON to South Korea once the agreed conditions are satisfied. Its stated goal is to safeguard South Korean citizens as well as U.S. military personnel serving in the country. It has also said its approach to wartime command has remained steady for many years.
The issue has also revealed friction between the allies. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the U.S. Army in South Korea, recently remarked that the circumstances surrounding the handover had shifted. Following his comments, officials in Seoul expressed worry that additional standards beyond current conditions could be imposed.
In 2015, South Korea and the United States agreed on a conditions-based transfer plan. Under the arrangement, South Korea's capability to lead combined forces will be assessed across three stages.
The two countries are presently focused on the second stage, which covers certification of Full Operational Capability (FOC). Results from this assessment will play a key role in setting the next steps and choosing a target year for transferring command.
Seoul wants the forthcoming Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) to push the certification process ahead and to move toward fixing a year for the transfer.
With visible differences over the handover, speculation is growing that the next SCM discussions may be delayed until early next year. The annual SCM, which typically takes place in late October or early November, has already been rescheduled for December.
The defense chiefs are expected to address the transfer question at their meeting in Washington in December, alongside broader defense cooperation and regional security concerns.
Wartime OPCON remains one of the central issues in the South Korea-U.S. security alliance. At present, during wartime, combined forces are under the operational control of a U.S.-led combined command. South Korea recovered peacetime operational control in 1994, but wartime command is still with the United States.