Korea seeks OPCON transfer breakthrough via presidential office-level talks: source

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, left, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth pose at the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., Monday (local time). AFP-Yonhap

Korea is seeking a breakthrough in its push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States through a top-level political decision between their presidential offices, a source familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The move comes as Seoul and Washington appear to have different views on the timing of the U.S. handing over wartime command to its ally, even though the two sides have agreed on the broader road map for the OPCON transition.

Korea is seeking to regain wartime OPCON before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ends in 2030, amid speculation it is targeting 2028 for the transfer. But the U.S. reportedly favors a more cautious timeline.

"Our position is that OPCON is an issue that requires a political and policy-wise decision, and that it should be addressed at a 'house-to-house' level," a source told Yonhap News Agency, referring to Cheong Wa Dae and the White House.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back's visit to Washington earlier this week for talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was partly intended to elevate the OPCON transfer issue to the ministerial level and underscore that the matter should be handled politically, the source said.

The two sides have been working on the OPCON transfer based on a set of conditions they both consider necessary for the transition — Korea being assessed as capable of leading the combined forces after the transfer, possessing adequate strike and air defense capabilities, and maintaining a level of regional stability deemed sufficient for the handover.

While Seoul assesses that it has met most of the requirements, Washington is still unwilling to move ahead, the source said, adding the military-level talks on the OPCON transfer have effectively stalled.

Speaking at a press event Wednesday, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said a political decision would lead to a final agreement on the OPCON transfer, not military-to-military negotiations.

The allies held their biennial security dialogue in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday, a key platform for OPCON transfer consultations, but no details of discussions about the issue were outlined in a joint statement.

Asked why the issue was not included in this week's security talks, Lee Kyung-ho, deputy defense ministry spokesperson, said earlier in the day that he understands the issue was "fully discussed," as it is a primary agenda item for the dialogue.

U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson's recent remarks have added to the differences in the allies' views.

In a speech at a military conference in Hawaii on Wednesday, Brunson said he was concerned by "the potential to be driven to do something that we are not ready for," as he spoke about the security of his host country.

At a Senate hearing in April, Brunson said "political expediency does not outpace the conditions" for the OPCON transfer. He also told Congress the two countries seek to meet conditions required for the transfer no later than the first quarter of 2029.