Korea seeks 'top-down' approach with US for breakthrough in OPCON transfer
Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul, right, shakes hands with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during their bilateral talks ahead of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus in Cebu, the Philippines, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense
Korea will seek a "top-down" approach with the United States for a breakthrough in the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition, the defense ministry said Thursday, dismissing the view that a delay of the allies' annual security talks signals a setback in the transfer timeline.
The allies announced Wednesday the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), a key dialogue between their defense chiefs, has been pushed back to early next year, following bilateral talks between Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Philippines earlier in the day.
The ministry said Kang and Hegseth plan to meet again for another round of talks in Washington in December, viewed to be a rare move given that the SCM typically works "bottom-up" — bringing the defense chiefs together to finalize agreements reached during prior working-level consultations between their top military officers.
"We intend to produce a successful outcome through a 'top-down' approach, whereby the defense chiefs present a policy direction based on evaluations of military authorities of the two sides," ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said in a press briefing.
"Specifically, we are pursuing a 'two-step' approach — share a clear understanding on key issues through consultations between the minister and the secretary in December, and based on that, reach a final decision at the SCM early next year," she said.
The delay of the SCM further adds weight to the widely held view that there may be disagreements over the timing of the OPCON transition.
Seoul wants to accelerate the process and complete it before 2030, when the incumbent Lee Jae Myung administration's five-year term will end, while Washington remains wary of a rushed handover driven by political considerations.
In the media readout released after Wednesday's talks, Seoul said both sides agreed to work to ensure a "timely" OPCON transfer, drawing a contrast with the word "expedite" that has been used in reference to the transition in previous statements.
"By 'timely,' it means that we are seeking the most appropriate timing to ensure a successful OPCON transfer, comprehensively taking into account the required conditions and readiness of both Korea and the U.S.," Chung said when asked to elaborate.
"It does not mean a delay in the transfer," she added.
At Wednesday's talks, the U.S. side repeatedly called on both sides to ensure the upcoming SCM will be a "definitive and decisive" meeting, which, a defense ministry official said, reflected that they are aligned with Seoul on the significance of the next round of the dialogue.
This is the first time in 28 years since 1998 that the SCM, a decadeslong mechanism for broad discussions on alliance and security, will be held after the turn of the year.
Scheduling and other pending issues on the U.S. side, including its war against Iran and the midterm elections, are widely seen as having factored into the decision to delay the SCM.