U.S. sees OPCON transfer efforts as chance for improvement in S. Korea's warfighting capability: Colby

The U.S. Department of Defense is capitalizing on South Korea's bid to regain operational control (OPCON) from Washington as an opportunity to boost the Asian nation's military prowess, according to Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby. Colby articulated this perspective during remarks to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Sept. 28, as the Lee Jae Myung administration strives to finalize the conditions-based OPCON transition before its presidential term concludes in 2030.

Colby further explained that the Department is using this chance to spur "generational improvements" in South Korean warfighting capability. The Pentagon is concurrently working to enhance the Seoul-Washington alliance, bolstering U.S. conventional presence in the Republic of Korea (ROK) against regional threats, notably China. Regarding the concept of "burden sharing" in the Indo-Pacific, Colby highlighted that the Pentagon has achieved considerable progress, noting that South Korea has become the first non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally to adopt the "new global standard for defense spending" - 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product dedicated to core military capabilities.

Additionally, Colby revealed that South Korea has committed to assuming primary responsibility for its conventional defense against North Korea.