S. Korea, US agree to hold key defense talks after midterm elections: sources
South Korea and the United States are in talks to set the date for their high-level defense dialogue after the U.S. midterms, informed sources said Wednesday, a move that would mark a delay of the annual talks typically held in early November. According to the sources, the allies have reached a mutual "understanding" to push back the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) largely due to the U.S.…
South Korea and the United States are discussing a potential rescheduling of their key defense talks, known as the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), following the U.S. midterm elections, according to informed sources. This comes as the allies have reportedly reached a mutual understanding to postpone the annual dialogue, which usually takes place in early November, due to the upcoming U.S. midterm elections on November 3.
The SCM is scheduled to be hosted by Washington this year. The delay is seen as a result of a perceived discrepancy between Seoul and Washington regarding the timing of the U.S. handover of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea, with Seoul aiming to regain control of OPCON from Washington before the end of Lee Jae Myung's five-year term in 2030, or potentially even earlier.
Washington has expressed concerns about rushing the transition due to political considerations. Both sides have reportedly agreed to delay the schedule, taking into account the midterm elections and other factors.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
