S. Korea seeks to retake OPCON from U.S. under 'no added conditions' principle: defense minister nominee
Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul answers reporters' questions during the first press availability since his nomination, at the Defense Convention Center in Yongsan, Seoul, Sept. 3. Yonhap
Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul said Friday that South Korea is seeking to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States under a firm principle that there will be "no additional conditions" attached.
Kang made the remark in written responses submitted to a lawmaker ahead of his parliamentary confirmation hearing set for Wednesday. The retired four-star Army general, a former deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), was nominated to lead the defense ministry late last month.
"I understand that the defense ministry has been pursuing bilateral consultations with the U.S. based on the principle of 'no additional conditions,'" he said in the document submitted to Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party, obtained by Yonhap News Agency.
His response comes as Seoul is pushing to regain OPCON from Washington before the Lee Jae Myung administration's five-year term ends in 2030, or even as early as next year.
South Korea retook peacetime OPCON in 1994, but the U.S. retains wartime OPCON. The allies originally agreed in 2007 to transfer wartime OPCON by April 2012, but the handover has been repeatedly delayed as North Korea advanced its nuclear and missile programs.
The allies agreed to a "conditions-based" OPCON transition plan in October 2014, under which South Korea must lead the future combined command and secure key strike capabilities to counter North Korea's threats, while the regional security environment should be conducive to the OPCON handover.
However, the two sides face a widening divide over the OPCON transition timeline, amid indications that Washington and the U.S. military harbor reservations about accelerating OPCON transition.
In June, the U.S. Senate proposed a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act to require the U.S. defense secretary to provide regular reports to Congress on the OPCON transfer road map.
Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), has stressed that political expediency should not override military readiness in the OPCON transition process.
Kang dismissed concerns over the perceived gap between Seoul and Washington over the OPCON transfer timing.
"I have noted the gap is not significant," he said. "The two sides have consulted closely through high-level channels."
Once appointed, Kang said he will ensure thorough preparations to complete the "full operational capability (FOC)" certification of the future CFC at the key bilateral defense meeting later this year.
Seoul wants to complete the FOC certification, the second stage of verifying the combined forces, and announce the target year at the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between the defense chiefs of the allies this fall.
"I will work to ensure that the OPCON transition proceeds in a manner that further strengthens the alliance and the combined defense posture," he added.
Kang also expressed support for outgoing Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back's view that South Korea has sufficient defense capabilities to handle an immediate OPCON transfer.
"I concur," he said, in response to a question on whether he agreed with Ahn's statement that South Korea has no major issues defending itself even if OPCON were handed over tomorrow.
"However, mutual trust in the South Korea-U.S. alliance must be guaranteed," Kang noted.
Regarding the disagreement between Seoul and the U.N. Command (UNC) over the management and control of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, Kang called for "mutual efforts" to "strike a balance" between UNC authority and South Korea's sovereignty.
The UNC, which oversees the heavily fortified border under the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, has raised objections to the Lee administration's move to gain access to parts of the southern DMZ for peace-building measures aimed at restoring inter-Korean ties.
Asked about Washington's growing focus on deterring China, while calling for Seoul to handle its own defense against North Korea, Kang said he will work with the U.S. to maintain a staunch joint defense posture for peace in the region.
Asked to identify South Korea's adversary, Kang named "the North Korean regime and its military."
"Any group that threatens South Korea's security, our people and property is an enemy," he said. "In that regard, the North Korean regime and its military, which explicitly label the South as their enemy and continue to pose military threats, including nuclear weapons, are our enemy."
On the government's push to merge the military academies of the Army, Air Force and Navy, Kang said the consolidation is essential to cultivate "shared capabilities" for national defense.
Asked whether the proposed integrated academy would help South Korea lead future combined forces following the OPCON transfer, Kang emphasized that the transition requires Seoul to possess independent capabilities in both operational command and military hardware.
"Establishing the unified academy will serve as the cornerstone for building the educational foundation to train officers with these command capabilities," Kang added.