Defense minister nominee says feels heavy responsibility for 2024 martial law bid

Defense minister candidate Kang Shin-chul stated on Wednesday that South Korea has made significant strides towards meeting the prerequisites for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON). At his confirmation hearing before the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, Kang affirmed that the conditions are now favorable to proceed with the process, aligning with the Lee Jae Myung administration's ambition to finalize the transfer during their tenure.

Addressing the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, Kang explained that the OPCON transfer has been a consistent objective for administrations across the board. "We have made considerable progress in meeting the required conditions and I believe the circumstances are also in place," Kang emphasized. The Lee administration has positioned the OPCON transfer as a primary defense policy objective, aiming to conclude the process before Lee Jae Myung concludes his term.

Kang's written responses to the Assembly provided ahead of the hearing listed the completion of the Full Operational Capability (FOC) assessment of the prospective Combined Forces Command as a key task associated with the transfer. Kang, who previously served as the deputy commander of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, highlighted these developments.