[사설] 축소되는 한-미 연습, 전작권 전환에 지장 없어야

President Donald Trump announced plans to reduce the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises, known as "Ulji Freedom Guardian," in the days following his presidency. In response, President Yoon Suk-yeol stated that he would work to complete the transition of wartime command authority as planned, despite the reduction in exercises. The U.S. military officials have pledged to actively work to fulfill the order of the commander-in-chief, but have not provided a clear plan on how to reduce the exercises.

The two nations have a difficult relationship, with attempts at inter-Korean dialogue going sour after the "Moon-Jimmy" summit in 2019. The joint exercises were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and resumed under the Yoon Suk-yeol government in May 2022, but the process of transitioning wartime command authority was effectively halted.

The remaining variable is the success of Trump's approach to North Korea. Trump has confirmed that North Korea responded positively to his "training reduction order." Now, the focus must be on securing the wartime command authority before anything else can be achieved.