US Defense Chief: "Encouraged by South Korea's OPCON Commitment... But Balance Is Needed"

On May 30 (local time), U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses, during his speech and Q&A session at the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Asian Security Summit held in Singapore, described the Lee Jaemyung administration's commitment to the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) as "encouraging," while also emphasizing the need for "balance" with U.S. military operational planning and responsibilities.

Hegses, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Delivered Speech at Shangri-La Dialogue. Yonhap News Agency

Responding to a question about OPCON during the Q&A session following his speech, Secretary Hegses shared that he had spoken at length about the issue with Xavier Brunson, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea, and that he had also discussed the matter with Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyubaek during his visit to the United States earlier this month. He stated, "It is encouraging that our ally wants to exercise more control and do so more quickly. This is an instinct we want to continue to promote, and we welcome it."

However, he also said that during the process of transferring OPCON, "we must find a balance that ensures respect for U.S. military operational plans and the responsibilities that U.S. service members have carried for decades." This indicates that while he welcomes the Lee Jaemyung administration's push for OPCON transfer in line with the Trump administration's emphasis on greater allied burden-sharing, he also intends to realistically consider U.S. military operational practices and morale.

Commander Brunson of U.S. Forces Korea, who was in the audience and was given an opportunity to speak, remarked, "What is important is not only to have the appropriate capabilities at the right time and in the right place but also to take alternative perspectives into account."

While South Korea, based on the agreement for a "conditions-based" OPCON transfer, aims to achieve the transfer as early as next year, the United States, through recent remarks by Commander Brunson, has highlighted "the first quarter of 2029," which coincides with the overlap of the Trump administration and the next U.S. administration, drawing attention to the "difference" in the two countries' timelines.

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