Seoul, May 10 (IANS) South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Sunday that South Korea and the United States face “no major issues” in accelerating the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), stressing that the allies have made “significant progress” in meeting the conditions agreed upon by the two sides for the transition.
Ahn made the remarks before departing for Washington for talks with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, scheduled for Monday (US time), as Seoul is seeking to retake wartime command of its troops from the US before the Lee Jae Myung government’s five-year term ends in 2030.
“South Korean and US officials made significant progress in 2015 regarding the wartime OPCON transfer under a conditions-based agreement,” Ahn told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.
“Based on that progress, we’ve been preparing for the transition in a systematic, stable and consistent manner. And because those preparations have continued steadily, I do not believe there is any major issue with accelerating the OPCON transition,” Ahn said.
His remarks came amid signs of differences in views between the allies, as Seoul is reportedly targeting 2028 for the transition, while the Trump administration is still in office, reports Yonhap news agency.
But U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson told Congress last month that the two countries seek to meet conditions required for the transfer no later than the first quarter of 2029, suggesting the transition may not be ready even after Trump’s term ends on January 20, 2029.
Ahn indicated that setting the target year for the wartime OPCON transfer will also be among the key agenda items for talks with his American counterpart.
At last year’s annual consultative meeting between the defence chiefs, the two sides agreed to finalise the second phase of the road map for the wartime OPCON transfer and to determine a target year for the transition at their subsequent meeting.
Regarding Seoul’s push for nuclear-powered submarines, Ahn underscored the importance of implementing follow-up steps as the matter was agreed upon by the leaders during their summit talks in October.
“South Korea has significant submarine-related capabilities, so if the US provides some level of support on the fuel side, I don’t believe there would be major difficulties in moving forward with the process,” Ahn said.
Asked if negotiations on nuclear-powered submarines could kick off before the end of the first half, Ahn said, “Of course.”
“The two countries agreed to move forward according to the agreed procedures,” he said. “I believe this is an issue that the South Korean and US militaries must resolve together, regardless of any difficulties that may arise.”
“We intend to continue discussions on fulfilling (the leaders’) commitments and strengthening cooperation between South Korea and the US in order to bring the matter to fruition,” Ahn said.
–IANS
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