Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Korea, US speed up OPCON transfer as Lee seeks transition within term
Jin Yong-seung, Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, right, and Gen. John Daniel Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, review an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony ahead of the Military Committee Meeting at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Nov. 3. Yonhap
By Kim Hyun-bin
Seoul pledges major defense spending boost after SCM talks amid US agreement to bolster military readiness
South Korea and the United States agreed to accelerate the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) as part of efforts to “modernize the alliance,” a move that aligns with President Lee Jae Myung’s pledge to complete the transition within his term.
The commitment, detailed Friday in a joint fact sheet, marks a critical step toward Korea taking full, independent responsibility for its own defense nearly 75 years after the 1950-53 Korean War.
The fact sheet states that the two leaders will continue cooperation toward the transfer of OPCON, which would shift wartime authority from the U.S. to South Korea once Seoul is assessed to possess the required capabilities.
“We reaffirmed our determination to strengthen national defense and reclaim OPCON, signaling our leadership over the defense of the Korean Peninsula,” Lee said while unveiling the document. “The United States expressed strong support.”
The joint declaration of political resolve was immediately bolstered by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, who insisted that the highly complex transfer process is “progressing smoothly,” noting that the two governments share the intention to complete the transition “as early as possible.”
The question of Korea’s defense commitment was addressed again with Washington’s reaffirmation that U.S. forces would remain in the country, although the United States stopped short of citing a specific number of troops, which currently stands at roughly 28,500.
This continued commitment is contingent upon the massive $33 billion in “comprehensive support” that the fact sheet outlines Korea will provide for U.S. Forces Korea, including defense cost-sharing and facilities supplied at no cost.
In a significant show of commitment, Korea also agreed to raise its defense spending to 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), abandoning previously proposed longer timelines and signaling annual increases of roughly 8 percent to reach the target well before 2035.
Armored vehicles and other military equipment are lined up at a U.S. military base in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 10, 2021, ahead of preliminary drills for a South Korea-U.S. combined military exercise. Korea Times file
Korea’s defense spending typically hovers around 2.8 percent of its GDP, which currently amounts to an annual military budget of roughly $47 to $48 billion, placing the country among the world’s 12 largest defense spenders.
This dramatic increase in spending is designed to finance the planned purchase of $25 billion in U.S. military equipment by 2030, which includes a second batch of F-35A fighters, early warning planes and ballistic missile intercept systems.
Defense officials from both countries also agreed to complete the second phase of a three-stage verification process by next year and draw up a new road map to speed up the transition, according to the outcome of this month’s Security Consultative Meeting (SCM).
Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth agreed to advance a new road map for the Future Combined Forces Command Headquarters, committing to verify its Full Operational Capability (FOC) by 2026. A joint statement reaffirmed that the transfer of wartime operational control would proceed “systematically, stably, and actively” only after all agreed conditions were met, a step both sides said would strengthen the alliance’s combined defense posture.
Once FOC verification is complete, the process would move to Full Mission Capability (FMC), a final qualitative assessment requiring political approval from both capitals. Analysts say that if FMC evaluation begins as planned in 2027, the OPCON transfer could be finalized before Lee’s term ends in June 2030.
The defense chiefs also addressed regional security threats, expressing shared concern over North Korea’s expanding nuclear and missile capabilities and the modernization of its conventional forces, particularly in light of recent military cooperation with Moscow.
Hegseth reaffirmed the United States’ “unwavering commitment” to extended deterrence, including the full spectrum of U.S. military capabilities, nuclear assets among them. The defense chiefs highlighted the successful implementation of the joint Nuclear Consultative Group and the integrated nuclear and conventional tabletop exercise, designed to strengthen decision-making in a potential nuclear contingency on the peninsula.
In a historic move for defense industrial cooperation, the defense chiefs announced that U.S. combat vessels will receive maintenance, repair and overhaul services in South Korea for the first time. They said this collaboration, which also accelerates cooperation in shipbuilding, represents a major step in bolstering supply chain resilience and supporting U.S. readiness and deterrence across the Indo-Pacific region.