Seoul: The top military officers of South Korea and the United States announced on Monday that “meaningful progress” has been achieved in meeting the conditions for South Korea to assume wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States, according to South Korea’s military.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Jin Yong-sung and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine, examined these advancements during the 50th Military Committee Meeting held in Seoul. This meeting marked their first face-to-face discussion in three months. The two generals agreed to continue efforts to fulfill the necessary conditions for the OPCON transition and to strengthen the combined defense posture of the alliance.
The South Korean military highlighted that Gen. Jin and Gen. Caine shared an understanding of the progress made in various areas, as confirmed by the annual evaluation conducted according to the bilaterally agreed-upon standards of the conditions-based operational control transition plan. South Korea has pledged to reclaim OPCON from Washington within President Lee Jae Myung’s term, which concludes in 2030.
During the meeting, Jin and Caine also discussed alliance modernization and agreed to bolster the alliance’s capabilities, interoperability, and combined readiness posture to address the changing security environment and emerging threats. The security situation in the Indo-Pacific region was noted as becoming increasingly complex due to North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threats and a global arms race.
The military officers stated that the North’s military buildup, supported by technological aid from Russia, is being effectively managed through the allies’ strong combined defense posture. Jin and Caine emphasized the importance of developing a stronger combined defense posture under the mutual defense treaty and committed to ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.
The talks on Monday included senior officials from both sides, such as Adm. Samuel Paparo, chief of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea. These discussions preceded the annual security talks between their defense chiefs. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are scheduled to co-chair the 57th Security Consultative Meeting on Tuesday, where OPCON transition and nuclear-powered submarine acquisition are expected to be key topics.