Seoul: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Wednesday emphasized South Korea's determination to expedite the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of its troops, currently under U.S. command. He pledged to accelerate these efforts within the year, aiming for the transfer to occur within President Lee Jae Myung's term, which concludes in 2030.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn's remarks came during a strategic meeting with approximately 170 key defense ministry officials, military chiefs, and related personnel. The gathering focused on assessing the ongoing progress related to the OPCON transfer initiative. South Korea aims to regain control on a conditional basis, enhancing its military autonomy while maintaining robust alliance ties with the United States.
Ahn highlighted 2026 as a pivotal year for the operational transition. He stated that through the OPCON transfer, South Korea's military would strengthen its readiness with six component commands, fortifying the South Korea-U.S. alliance. This transition is seen as a significant step in enhancing military cooperation unprecedented in global history.
The defense ministry outlined plans to establish a comprehensive roadmap for the OPCON transfer by April, with a subsequent verification of Seoul's Full Operational Capability (FOC) anticipated by October. The finalization of the transfer timing is contingent upon the approval of FOC verification by South Korean and U.S. defense ministers at their upcoming Security Consultative Meeting.
FOC represents the second phase of a tripartite evaluation process designed to assess South Korea's ability to lead the combined forces with the U.S. The ministry aims to intensify the frequency of OPCON transfer progress assessments, increasing them from annually to quarterly this year, to ensure the FOC verification process is completed as planned.