Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US to hold talks in Philippines ahead of ASEAN meeting

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are set to engage in their inaugural bilateral discussions in the Philippines this week, preceding a ministerial conference orchestrated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to a source familiar with the situation, Kang and Hegseth are anticipated to convene in a private meeting on Wednesday, a day prior to the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus plenary scheduled in Cebu.

This will represent their first tête-à-tête since Kang assumed his position in September. Kang is slated to travel to Cebu on Tuesday to participate in the high-level regional security dialogue and engage in numerous bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the involved nations, as per a statement from the defense ministry.

The impending talks between Kang and Hegseth coincide with the two nations grappling with a plethora of pending defense and alliance matters to address, particularly the ongoing efforts by South Korea to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington. The administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is striving to reclaim OPCON either before the conclusion of its five-year term in 2030 or perhaps sooner.

Washington, however, remains unconvinced about the readiness of Seoul to effectively handle the responsibility.