South Korea’s Defence Minister, Ahn Gyu-back, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to reclaiming wartime operational control of its troops from the United States. This move is part of a plan to transfer OPCON within President Lee Jae Myung’s term ending in 2030. Ahn emphasized that 2026 is targeted as the year to initiate the restoration of wartime operational control.
The Defence Ministry intends to develop a roadmap for the OPCON transfer by April and verify Seoul’s Full Operational Capability (FOC) by October. The actual timing for the transfer will be decided following approval from the defense ministers of South Korea and the US at their upcoming Security Consultative Meeting in October.
Seoul is currently in the second phase of the assessment necessary for the transfer, with plans to hold quarterly progress assessment meetings this year to expedite the FOC verification process. Additionally, a special advisory committee has recommended establishing a joint operations command to enhance military command structure and readiness.
The envisioned joint operations command is expected to take over the military’s operational function from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), allowing the JCS to focus on strategic roles like military strategy and power-building. The military is also advised to redefine the role of the Strategic Command and consider launching a space command to address evolving space security challenges.
