Military Aims to Complete OPCON Transfer by Next Year

Joint Roadmap to Be Established Between South Korea and the U.S. Before the October SCM

The government plans to pursue the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) by next year. A joint roadmap between South Korea and the United States is set to be established before the South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in October this year. If the process goes smoothly, it appears highly likely that the transfer could take place within the current administration's term.

An official from the Ministry of National Defense told reporters on the 20th, "With the completion of Full Operational Capability (FOC) verification, which is the final stage before the transfer this year, the target year for the OPCON transfer will be decided, and the Full Mission Capability (FMC) process will begin immediately." It is expected that the final stage for the OPCON transfer—the assessment and verification of FMC for the future Combined Forces Command—could be completed within about one year.

Once the FMC verification for the future Combined Forces Command, which will lead wartime combined operations between South Korea and the United States, is completed, the defense ministers of both countries will recommend the OPCON transfer date to their respective presidents. For the FMC, evaluation and verification can be conducted simultaneously. The government reportedly believes that this process can be fully completed within about one year. Theoretically, at the SCM in October this year, the defense ministers could set 2027 as the target year for the transfer, complete the FMC assessment and verification within one year, and recommend a specific transfer date in 2027 at the following year's SCM. This is also a possible scenario.

However, additional consultations will be necessary between South Korea and the United States to create the roadmap. General Xavier Brunson, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea, previously indicated during a hearing at the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on April 22 (local time) that the timing for OPCON transfer could be in the first quarter of 2029.

The official stated, "The OPCON transfer is a matter decided at the policy and political level from start to finish. What the military authorities discuss is advice provided through reporting." On a personal note, he added, "What has changed compared to the past is that the U.S. has made it clear through its National Defense Strategy (NDS) that 'Korea should be responsible for its own defense, and U.S. support will gradually decrease.' Our current security environment is one in which we are also working hard to strengthen self-reliant defense, raising the defense budget to 3.5% of GDP and making varied efforts."

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