{
  "id": 9313021,
  "title": "Lee, Trump discuss wartime OPCON transfer for 1st time",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/lee-trump-discuss-wartime-opcon-transfer-for-1st-time-9313021",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T10:32:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/foreignaffairs/20260923/lee-trump-discuss-wartime-opcon-transfer-for-1st-time"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump held an unexpected 30-minute summit during the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, discussing the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean forces from Washington to Seoul. According to a senior Cheong Wa Dae official, this was the first time the issue was raised between the two presidents. The summit, arranged on the sidelines of the General Assembly where both leaders delivered speeches, was devoted primarily to the transfer of OPCON. President Lee spent considerable time explaining Korea's position on the transfer, to which President Trump showed great understanding. The Lee administration aims to retake OPCON by 2028, preferably in 2027, but U.S. military officials have stated that necessary conditions would not be met until the first quarter of 2029. In outlining Korea's efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities, including plans to increase defense spending, President Lee reaffirmed Korea's willingness to take greater responsibility for defense.",
  "summary": "President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean forces from Washington to Seoul during a summit in New York, Tuesday (local time). Although the issue has been under discussion for decades, it was the first time that it has been raised between Lee and Trump, according to a senior Cheong Wa Dae official. The 30-minute…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Xi Jinping’s US visit: What Trump will discuss and list of top CEOs who would attend state dinner",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/xi-jinpings-us-visit-what-trump-will-discuss-and-list-of-top-ceos-who",
        "published": "2026-09-23T08:38:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Lee, Trump discuss wartime OPCON transfer for 1st time",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/lee-trump-discuss-wartime-opcon-transfer-for-1st-time",
        "published": "2026-09-23T09:07:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Trump and Zelensky discuss path to ending Ukraine war",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/trump-and-zelensky-discuss-path-to-ending-ukraine-war",
        "published": "2026-09-23T09:30:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}