Korea, US agree on temporary combined forces structure after OPCON transfer

Korea and the United States have reached an agreement on a temporary combined forces structure following the transfer of wartime operational control, according to the deputy commander of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC). Deputy Commander Kim Seong-min disclosed this during a parliamentary audit. He stated that the provisional structure will be finalized during the Full Mission Capability (FMC) assessment, which is a crucial phase in the transfer of OPCON from the U.S. to Korea.

Kim emphasized that they have agreed on a provisional structure for the post-transition CFC, which will retain its official English name, Combined Forces Command in English, and is sometimes referred to as the "future CFC" in Korean to distinguish it from the current structure. When asked by Rep. Han Ki-ho of the main opposition People Power Party whether the U.S. had agreed to Korea's proposed structure, Kim clarified that the agreement is only provisional and not yet confirmed.