Seoul sticks to existing agreement on OPCON transfer as US signals new conditions
The South Korean military said Thursday it would stick to an existing agreement on conditions for wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer from Washington to Seoul, despite a warning from the top U.S. commander in Korea that changing security threats require new standards. It showed discomfort over U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson’s remarks on the need to change…
The South Korean military has announced it will maintain the current agreement regarding conditions for transferring wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States to Seoul, despite a warning from the top U.S. commander in Korea. Gen. Xavier Brunson cautioned that altering security threats necessitate new standards, stating that the transfer would be impossible under existing conditions.
The military has not yet determined whether to accept new conditions if proposed by the U.S. However, spokesperson Chung Binna clarified that the principle of OPCON transfer only occurring when mutually agreed-upon conditions by South Korea and the United States are met remains unaltered. The two nations are actively discussing the transfer issue in accordance with the Conditions-based Operational Control Transition Plan (COTP), which was established in 2015. The allies have been assessing South Korea's capabilities in three stages under the COTP.
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- Seoul pushes back against US signal for OPCON transfer delay koreatimes.co.kr
- USFK Chief: New OPCON Transfer Standards in Place after 'Changed Conditions' world.kbs.co.kr
- S. Korea says conditions-based OPCON transfer 'never' possible if conditions keep changing en.yna.co.kr
- USFK commander says Korea must meet ‘new standards’ for OPCON transfer hani.co.kr
