South Korea, US to hold drill bracing for OPCON transfer
By Jung Da-minSouth 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 control (OPCON) to the South Korean military, according to military sources Tuesday.“The South Korean Deputy Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) will be the commander of the IOC [Initial Operational Capability] certification scheduled to take place in the second half of this year,” a military official said Tuesday, referring to Gen. Choi Byung-hyuk. “A U.S. general will be the deputy commander of the IOC certification but it has yet to be decided who will command,” the official said, denying some media reports that Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of the CFC, who also heads the U.S. Forces Korea and the United Nations Command here, will be deputy commander. The South Korean and U.S. militaries have formed a team of 50 to conduct the IOC certification, according to military sources here. The certification drill, if successful, is expected to accelerate
Jun 4, 2019