No Progress Made on Key Issues at Korea-US KIDD Meeting

No Mention of OPCON Transfer or Nuclear-Powered Submarine Issues

On the 13th (local time), the 28th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) meeting is being held in Washington D.C. Photo by the Ministry of National Defense

Although the Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD), a vice minister-level meeting between the defense authorities of South Korea and the United States, was held, there was no progress made on key issues concerning the Korea-US alliance.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the KIDD meeting took place in Washington D.C. on May 12–13 (local time), where both sides reviewed the overall status of defense cooperation within the alliance and exchanged views on policy directions to strengthen the allied defense posture, as announced on May 14.

During this KIDD meeting, it appears that attempts were made to coordinate differences between South Korea and the United States on pressing issues such as the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). However, the official statement on the meeting did not include any concrete mention of OPCON discussions. On May 11 (local time), just prior to the KIDD, Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-baek met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington D.C. and expressed agreement on the prompt transition of OPCON, yet noted, "The U.S. side has some differing views." Other topics, such as cooperation on the construction of nuclear-powered submarines and plans for the divided management of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) currently under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Command, were also reportedly raised, but there was no mention of the details or outcomes of these discussions.

However, the commitment to actively implement last year's Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) outcomes is interpreted as a sign that both countries intend to continue seeking progress on the OPCON transfer and nuclear-powered submarine issues. Last year, the leaders of South Korea and the United States agreed in a joint fact sheet to cooperate on the construction of South Korea's nuclear-powered submarines. In addition, during the 57th SCM last year, it was decided that the target year for OPCON transfer would be finalized at the SCM meeting scheduled for the end of this year.

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