U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Wednesday that a roadmap has been delivered to the Pentagon to meet wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer conditions no later than the second quarter of fiscal year 2029. This targets January to March 2029 as the allies pursue a conditions-based transition. Brunson stressed the need to satisfy all conditions.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson told a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday that "we've delivered to OSW a roadmap which will get us there not later than second quarter of FY 29." OSW refers to the office of the secretary of war. Fiscal year 2029 runs from October 1, 2028, to September 30, 2029, pointing to January through March 2029.
The conditions for the transfer include South Korea's ability to lead combined Korea-U.S. forces, its strike and air defense capabilities, and a conducive regional security environment. "We will continue to press for the conditions-based OPCON transfer and ensure that all the conditions are met," Brunson said. The day before, at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, he stated that "political expediency does not outpace the conditions."
Brunson said the allies are in a "good" position, citing South Korea's continued defense investments and an about 8.5 percent uplift in defense spending over the next three fiscal years, adding, "But there's still more work to be done." The two sides plan to discuss the conditions at high-level meetings including the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue and the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington this early fall. During last November's SCM, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed to develop a roadmap to "expedite" implementation of the conditions.
Upon transfer, a four-star South Korean general would lead combined forces in wartime, with a four-star U.S. general in a supporting role. South Korea regained peacetime OPCON in 1994, but the U.S. retains wartime control. Initial plans set for April 17, 2012, were delayed multiple times due to North Korean threats, shifting to a conditions-based approach in 2014.
