Agenda of the ROK-US Defense Ministers' Meeting... Are There Any Disagreements?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] On the 17th, the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense visited South Korea simultaneously for the first time in 11 years, drawing attention to the agenda they will discuss with South Korea's top diplomatic and security officials.

On the day, a government official said, "It is expected that close coordination will be made on major issues such as the North Korean nuclear issue, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, and the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON)."

The South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting, being the first face-to-face meeting in the Biden era, is expected to cover various issues including South Korea-U.S. relations, the Korean Peninsula issue, and regional and international cooperation.

However, unlike the foreign ministers' meeting, there is a possibility of disagreements in the South Korea-U.S. defense ministers' meeting. While there will be consensus on the assessment of security situations on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korean developments, there may be differences regarding the transfer of wartime operational control.

The defense ministers' meeting on this day will be held strictly behind closed doors. The agenda and meeting contents will not be disclosed externally at all, indicating the sensitivity of the matters. It is known that Secretary Austin, the first African American Secretary of Defense in U.S. history, actively recommended keeping the meeting confidential.

Inside and outside the military, the biggest agenda of this meeting is unanimously considered to be the transfer of wartime operational control. In 2014, South Korea and the U.S. agreed on a "conditions-based OPCON transfer" focusing on △ South Korea's acquisition of core military capabilities △ South Korea's initial essential response capabilities against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats △ management of security environment on the Korean Peninsula and the region.

The U.S. position is to transfer OPCON only when South Korea fully meets the conditions, but South Korea is reportedly aiming to finalize the timing of OPCON transfer within the current administration's term.

Besides OPCON, there may also be disagreements on South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation measures. The U.S. does not want conflicts between South Korea and Japan as it negatively affects the U.S.'s response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and its efforts to check China.

In this context, the U.S. side is likely to mention the need to strengthen trilateral joint exercises and military exchanges between South Korea and Japan, but South Korea's Ministry of Defense holds a negative stance on this.

On the 16th, at the National Assembly's Defense Committee, when Hong Joon-pyo, an independent lawmaker, asked the Minister of National Defense of Seoul about the Ministry of Defense's position on the U.S. request to participate in the Quad (a four-country consultative body consisting of the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia) as part of the Indo-Pacific strategy, the minister replied, "There has been no official proposal from the U.S. It does not seem likely that such a proposal will be made."

On the morning of the 18th, a "2+2" meeting attended by the foreign and defense ministers of both countries will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building. During this occasion, Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea's special representative for defense cost-sharing negotiations, and Robert Rapson, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, will sign the recently finalized Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing between South Korea and the U.S. Both sides will adopt a joint statement reflecting the results of the 2+2 meeting and hold a live-streamed press conference.

In the afternoon of the 18th, the two U.S. secretaries will pay a courtesy visit to President Moon Jae-in at the Blue House. Afterwards, Secretary Blinken will hold a virtual meeting with youth leaders and the media, and Secretary Austin will visit the National Cemetery with Minister of National Defense Seo Wook. Secretary Blinken plans to depart South Korea on the evening of the 18th, and Secretary Austin on the morning of the 19th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.