Cebu:Seoul U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed concerns about a perceived rift in the South Korea-U.S. alliance as "fake news," according to South Korea's Defense Minister, Kang Shin-chul. The statement was made following a bilateral meeting between the two officials earlier this week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kang relayed Hegseth's comments upon his return from a three-day trip to the Philippines, where he engaged in discussions with his U.S. counterpart. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a regional defense ministers' gathering in Cebu on Wednesday. This marked Kang's first official meeting with Hegseth since assuming his role in September.
The discussions between Kang and Hegseth also led to the postponement of the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), a key annual security dialogue, to early next year. This delay has further fueled speculation of disagreements, particularly concerning the timing of the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition from Washington to Seoul. Despite these speculations, Kang emphasized the solid foundation of the alliance, stating that any claims of discord should not undermine it.
Kang affirmed that the meeting with Hegseth was productive, highlighting their agreement to align views on the OPCON transition. South Korea aims to complete this transition before the end of the current administration's term in 2030, although Washington has expressed caution about hastening the process for political reasons. To advance the transition, Seoul's defense ministry announced plans for a "top-down" approach and is preparing for further talks between Kang and Hegseth in December, as well as during the upcoming SCM.