(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on Oct. 15)

The ongoing dispute over readiness standards and military capabilities in the age of artificial intelligence may hinder South Korea's efforts to regain wartime operational control. The United States remains unconvinced that the conditions for transferring operational control to a Korean-led command have been met, despite President Lee Jae Myung's administration aiming to finalize the assessment this year.

Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, warned that a premature transfer without proper capabilities could undermine defensive readiness. Washington has reportedly reevaluated some capabilities it deemed satisfactory last year and found them inadequate this year, leading to complaints from the Korean military that the U.S. is moving the goalposts.

The primary concerns for the U.S. pertain to surveillance, reconnaissance assets, and command-and-control systems. In light of the rapid advancement of AI and advanced weapons systems, these issues should be manageable through regular consultations. However, the difficulties in transferring operational control may indicate a decline in mutual trust between the two nations.

Despite President Lee's assertion that there would be no problem with transferring operational control if necessary, the Defense Ministry maintains that there are no fundamental disagreements between Seoul and Washington. If the allies cannot complete the full operational capability (FOC) validation, it may be challenging to accelerate the transfer process.

Some speculate that Seoul might postpone the Security Consultative Meeting to buy more time to convince Washington, while seeking a top-down agreement between the two presidents. To avoid rushing toward a political settlement, the priority should be addressing the differences between military authorities regarding evaluation standards and the conditions required for transfer.

Regaining wartime operational control is a crucial objective for Korea's independent defense capabilities; however, without solid operational capabilities within the Korean military and strong communication between the allies, an accelerated transfer would only increase public concern about national security.