DPK leader says wartime OPCON transfer from US to benefit national security

Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, argued on Tuesday that the South Korean military's assumption of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States would be beneficial for national security. This statement was made during a ceremony at the National Assembly to inaugurate the party's task force focusing on the transition of wartime OPCON.

Kim stated that the world is transitioning to a landscape where South Korea exercising its own OPCON is what truly enhances national security. He acknowledged that there was a time when the U.S. exercising wartime operational control was seen as more advantageous and reliable for the security of the Korean Peninsula and South Korea.

As the chair of the National Defense Committee at the Assembly, Kim emphasized that South Korea's national power, including its defense capabilities, has been steadily growing. He also noted that the nature of its alliance with the U.S. has evolved to expand South Korea's role. The key question, according to Kim, is whether the conditions, capabilities, and circumstances are now in place for South Korea to exercise its wartime OPCON effectively.