Defense Minister Nominee Vows to Pursue OPCON Transfer in Way That Strengthens Alliance
[Politics] : Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul has vowed to pursue the transfer of wartime operational control(OPCON) from the U.S. in a way that strengthens the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Kang made the pledge Thursday as he arrived at the office of a preparation team for his confirmation hearing in Seoul, ... [more...]
Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul has stated that he will pursue the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the US in a way that strengthens the South Korea-US alliance. According to The Korea Times, Kang, a former deputy commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, made the remarks as Seoul seeks to regain wartime command before the end of President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term in 2030.
Kang's comments were made as he prepared for a parliamentary confirmation hearing. The OPCON transition is currently in its second stage, with the allies verifying the combined forces' full operational capability (FOC). Seoul aims to complete the FOC assessment process within this year.
The Korea Times reports that South Korea hopes to set a target year for the OPCON handover at this year's annual Security Consultative Meeting between the allies' defense chiefs in the fall. KBS World Radio also covered Kang's pledge to pursue the OPCON transfer in a way that strengthens the alliance.
Brief written by urgent.news from KBS World Radio, The Korea Times — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
