South Korean, U.S. Defense Chiefs to Meet Face-to-Face for First Time... Will They Discuss OPCON Transition?

Defense Minister Kang Shincheol to Attend ADMM-Plus

Defense Minister Kang Shincheol answers lawmakers' questions during a comprehensive parliamentary audit of the Ministry of National Defense and other agencies at the National Assembly on Oct. 26, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju.

Defense Minister Kang Shincheol is expected to meet U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in person for the first time. The two are scheduled to meet at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), which will be held in Cebu, the Philippines, on Oct. 29. Attention is focused on whether they will be able to discuss pending issues, including the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON).

According to the Ministry of National Defense on Oct. 27, defense ministers from the 11 ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners, including South Korea, the United States, China and Japan, are expected to attend ADMM-Plus. This will be Minister Kang's first participation in a multilateral security meeting since he took office on Sept. 22. Bilateral meetings between defense ministers from major countries in the region are also expected to take place on the sidelines.

Minister Kang and Secretary Hegseth may also meet one-on-one during the conference. The U.S. Department of War officially announced on Oct. 25 local time that Secretary Hegseth would attend ADMM-Plus. During a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's National Defense Committee on Oct. 26, Minister Kang was asked whether he would meet Secretary Hegseth at the conference and replied, "We are working to arrange that." Asked whether a meeting had been scheduled, he said, "We are working to arrange it," adding, "As you know, when meetings take place on the sidelines of a multilateral conference, the schedule is finalized after we arrive."

Minister Kang also plans to hold talks with other defense ministers from major countries in the region to discuss ways to expand defense exchanges and cooperation, as well as defense industry cooperation. At the ADMM-Plus plenary session, he is also expected to explain the government's efforts to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and seek the attending countries' interest and support. In doing so, he may convey the South Korean government's position and message on the recent rise in tensions along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with North Korea.

The Ministry of National Defense said Minister Kang would also emphasize the need for international cooperation to maintain peace in the region and present practical ways to strengthen defense cooperation with ASEAN. He is scheduled to depart on Oct. 27 to attend ADMM-Plus.

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