The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Defense
  • Labor & Environment
  • Law & Crime
  • Health & Welfare
  • Embassy
  • Seoul & Provinces
  • Education
  • Foreign Communities
  • Obituaries
  • Multicultural Youth Award
Biz & Tech
  • Auto
  • IT
  • Game
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail & Food
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Airlines
Finance
  • Policies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Banks
  • Non-banks
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • Books
  • Travel & Cuisine
  • Trend
  • Fashion
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
  • Translation Award
Entertainment
  • K-pop
  • K-dramas & Shows
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Performances
  • Asia Model Festival
Sports
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Baseball
  • Other Sports
World
  • Asia Pacific
  • Americas
  • Europe & Africa
  • SCMP
Video
  • On the Spot
  • Feature
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
Community
  • The Korea Times
  • all menu
  • search
  • facebookfacebook
  • twittertwitter
  • youtubeyoutube
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • all menu
  • search
  • facebookfacebook
  • twittertwitter
  • youtubeyoutube
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
National
  • Politics
  • Diplomacy
  • Defense
  • Labor & Environment
  • Law & Crime
  • Health & Welfare
  • Embassy
  • Seoul & Provinces
  • Education
  • Foreign Communities
  • Obituaries
  • Multicultural Youth Award
Mon, December 9, 2019 | 13:49
Defense
South Korean general to lead combined forces command
Posted : 2019-06-03 17:20
Updated : 2019-07-17 11:55
Jung Da-min
Mail
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo shakes hands with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan at the beginning of the ROK-U.S. bilateral defense talks held at the ministry compound in Yongsan, Seoul, Monday. The transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) and the relocation of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) topped the meeting's agenda. Yonhap
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo shakes hands with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan at the beginning of the ROK-U.S. bilateral defense talks held at the ministry compound in Yongsan, Seoul, Monday. The transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) and the relocation of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) topped the meeting's agenda. Yonhap

CFC to be moved to Camp Humphreys

By Jung Da-min, Joint Press Corps

Seoul and Washington agreed Monday to name a South Korean four-star general to lead the combined forces command (CFC) here, according to the defense ministry.

They also agreed to relocate the command's headquarters, now at the U.S. Forces Korea's Yongsan Garrison base in Seoul, to its Camp Humpheys base in Pyeongtaek, citing operational efficiency.

The agreements were reached between Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his counterpart acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan in Seoul.

Shanahan later visited President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae for talks on the alliance and issues regarding North Korea's denuclearization, weeks ahead of a summit between Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for the end of June.

During the meeting at the presidential office, Moon and Shanahan reaffirmed the principle that the international sanctions against North Korea should be kept in place until there was significant process in the denuclearization process.

"The ROK-US alliance is the most important thing in pursuing complete denuclearization and building a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula," Moon said, adding that humanitarian aid to the North was also important while asking for cooperation on this from the U.S.

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo shakes hands with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan at the beginning of the ROK-U.S. bilateral defense talks held at the ministry compound in Yongsan, Seoul, Monday. The transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) and the relocation of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) topped the meeting's agenda. Yonhap
President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

At the defense ministers' meeting, Shanahan and Jeong agreed on the early transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean forces to Seoul, and the relocation of the South Korea-U.S. CFC to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, as opposed to the defense ministry compound in Yongsan, Seoul, which was discussed last year.

The two military leaders noted that significant progress had been made to meet the conditions for the wartime OPCON transfer from the U.S. to South Korea and shared a positive outlook on the upcoming Initial Operative Capability (IOC) certification to verify the ROK military's capability to lead a combined defense, scheduled for the second half of the year.

"On behalf of the ROK Ministry of National Defense, I can say that while doing the IOC certification, we'll make sure that we use past practices for efficiency in terms of setting up the future Combined Forces Command," Jeong said at the beginning of the talks.

Jeong and Shanahan also approved the plan to name a four-star South Korean general as the new leader of the CFC, to take a separate role to lead in a combined defense, but not in assuming other duties, once the wartime OPCON transfer is completed. Currently a four-star U.S general heads the CFC.

The two had earlier discussed naming the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman or Ground Operations Command (GOC) chief to head the "new" CFC, taking a dual role. The defense ministry cited the burden the military leaders would feel in such case, as the reason not to do so.

Jeong and Shanahan assessed the new ROK-US joint military exercise 19-1 Dong Maeng conducted March in place of the annual larger-scale Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint drills that usually take place in the first half of the year, as a great success that had supported diplomatic efforts for peace on the peninsula while ensuring a firm defensive readiness.

They confirmed the plan to end the U.S.-led Freedom Guardian exercise, which used to be held alongside the South Korean-led Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) drill, in August, and replace it with a new joint exercise with details yet to be decided.

Shanahan also congratulated South Korea for successfully conducting its new independent civilian-military exercise Ulchi Taeguek without the U.S. last week, saying it was a positive sign that the two sides were moving rapidly to fulfill conditions for the transition of wartime OPCON.

"Exercises like this are critical in maintaining and sustaining our readiness against all crises," Shanahan said, while also confirming the U.S. commitment to the "iron-clad alliance," saying it was a linchpin for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

The two also commented on the U.S. and South Korean militaries' assessment of the recent missile launches by North Korea, and vowed to keep working on diplomatic efforts to push for the complete denuclearization of the North as well as the overall security of the Korean Peninsula.

Shanahan said, "The only acceptable end-state is complete, verifiable denuclearization of the peninsula. Our alliance and the international community will not seek a lesser solution."

While Jeong pledged South Korea's commitment to fulfill the Comprehensive Military Agreement reached between the two Koreas at the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un last year, Shanahan reiterated the international community's backing in implementing United Nations sanctions against the North, urging Pyongyang to comply with its international obligations.



Emaildamin.jung@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
CFC relocation to Pyeongtaek should be reconsidered: lawmaker
A plan to relocate the headquarters of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) from Yongsan to Pyeongtaek should be reconsidered, a lawmaker said Wednesday. ...
[INTERVIEW] 'Structure of future CFC should not overlap with JCS'
The recent agreement between the South Korean and the U.S. militaries to appoint a South Korean four-star general to lead the future ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) has caus...
South Korea, US to hold drill bracing for OPCON transfer
South Korea and the United States will hold their first joint military drill led by a South Korean general in August in preparation for the planned transfer of wartime operational ...
Moon, Pentagon chief agree that alliance is ironclad: Pentagon
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan agreed that the countries' alliance is "ironclad" as they work to ensure peace in the region, ...
US steps up pressure on North Korea for dialogue
Washington is stepping up pressure on North Korea to make sure dialogue is the only way to resolve all “outstanding issues” between the countries. Experts and political analysts in...
China or US? South Korea pressed to make a choice amid trade conflict
A Chinese official has urged South Korea to make the "right judgment" to ensure good relations between the two countries amid concerns that an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry could ...








 
 
  • numberFirms withdraw from China on worsening business conditions
  • numberKorean tourist injured in unprovoked knife attack in Thailand
  • numberPearl Harbor attack brings war to Korea
  • numberNew NK test escalates tension on peninsula
  • numberSeoul not to issue driver's license to short-term foreign visitors
  • numberGov't seeking to levy taxes on virtual currency
  • number'Son-aldo!': Mourinho salutes South Korean's wonder-goal
  • number[INTERVIEW] 'Korea's anti-corruption policies a beacon for other Asian countries'
  • numberFears renewed on foreign capital exodus
  • numberTrump warns N. Korea not to interfere with his reelection bid
  • Singer Kim Gun-mo embroiled in sexual assault scandal Singer Kim Gun-mo embroiled in sexual assault scandal
  • Korean pop culture producers eyeing Southeast Asia Korean pop culture producers eyeing Southeast Asia
  • Married actresses returning to small screen after childbirth Married actresses returning to small screen after childbirth
  • BTS performs at 2019 KIIS-FM Jingle Ball concert [PHOTOS] BTS performs at 2019 KIIS-FM Jingle Ball concert [PHOTOS]
  • Disney's 'Frozen 2' tops 10 mil. admissions in Korea Disney's 'Frozen 2' tops 10 mil. admissions in Korea
DARKROOM
  • Global climate change: time is running out

    Global climate change: time is running out

  • CA cave fire burns more than 4,300 acres

    CA cave fire burns more than 4,300 acres

  • No money, no hope: South Korea's 'Dirt Spoons'

    No money, no hope: South Korea's 'Dirt Spoons'

  • Hong Kong democrats score historic victory

    Hong Kong democrats score historic victory

  • Halloween

    Halloween

  • About Korea Times
  • CEO Message
  • Times History
  • Content Sales
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Location
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Ombudsman
  • hankookilbo
  • Dongwha Group
  • Code of Ethics
Copyright