[사설] 곧 열리는 한-미 연합연습, 전작권 환수 성과로 이어지길

South Korea and the United States are set to begin their joint military exercises, "Ulsan Freedom Shield" (UFS), on November 17th, with the aim of transitioning the authority for South Korea's nuclear weapons, known as the "transit rights." The annual event is particularly significant this year, as the exercise will determine whether the United States will hand over the transit rights to South Korea.

The future military command of the United States will verify the joint force's full operational capability (FOC) during the exercises to ensure their success. The goal is for the United States and South Korea to reach an agreement at the upcoming Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) to finalize the "target year" for the transition.

The annual joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States is expected to serve as a foundation for the future transition of transit rights. Both the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United States-Republic of Korea Joint Military Command announced on October 10th that the exercise would continue to promote the preparation of "nuclear transit rights transition based on agreed conditions."

In November 2025, the two nations agreed to launch the verification process for the future joint force's full operational capability. The successful completion of this year's exercises will allow for the presentation of the "target year" for the transition during the 2026 Security Consultative Meeting later in October.

However, the issue of transit rights transition remains unresolved between the two allies. On April 30th, U.S. Army General James Mattis suggested to the U.S. Congress that the transition would take place in the first quarter of 2029, following the end of Donald Trump's term as president. In response, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his hope for the United States to expedite the transition as much as possible.

Defense Minister Oh Kyung-bae reaffirmed his commitment to complete the transition roadmap by the end of the year and to launch the verification process during the upcoming SCM. Nonetheless, the majority of significant decisions concerning South Korean security are often made unilaterally by the United States, as former Defense Secretary Robert Work pointed out in a recent Asia Security Conference speech.

The United States must respect the military operations and responsibilities carried out by the U.S. military for several decades and find a balanced solution that satisfies both parties to achieve the desired outcome. Hasty preparations may lead to unfavorable consequences.