U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth positively assessed South Korea's push to retake wartime operational control from the United States, calling it a 'great' endeavor. He depicted South Korea as a 'combat credible partner' during a press meeting on a plane en route to Malaysia. The remarks underscore the U.S. emphasis on allies assuming greater security responsibilities.
On October 29, 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth positively assessed South Korea's push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) during a press meeting on a plane en route to Malaysia, responding to a question from Yonhap News Agency. The effort is by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration to regain wartime OPCON within its five-year term ending in 2030.
"I think it's great. The more capabilities of our allies the better. We've been strong allies for many, many decades. That has not changed," Hegseth said. He highlighted South Korea's willingness to increase defense spending, noting, "They live right next to a real-time and persistent threat, but they also understand the totality of the neighborhood that they are in," apparently referring to North Korean threats.
Hegseth described South Korea as a "combat credible partner," stating, "I think South Korea is a great example of a combat credible partner who's postured strongly, who has been a great host for our troops, but also wants to and should be increasingly willing to take the lead. It's what we are asking of our partners in Europe to take the lead."
"It doesn't mean we are backing away. It doesn't mean we are not supporting. It is frankly common sense. Why would you want a relationship that requires only U.S. leadership in contingencies when you've got a wealthy, strong, motivated nation capable of doing that?" he added.
The OPCON transfer is expected to feature prominently in discussions between South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Hegseth at the allies' annual Security Consultative Meeting in Seoul next Tuesday. Seoul and Washington have pursued a conditions-based OPCON transition; South Korea handed over OPCON during the 1950-53 Korean War, retook peacetime OPCON in 1994, but wartime OPCON remains with the U.S.
Hegseth dismissed a report that the Pentagon's new National Defense Strategy might set a U.S. defense line including Japan but excluding South Korea and Taiwan, saying, "I don't think that report is accurate."
He clarified that the Trump administration is not seeking a NATO-like multilateral alliance in the Indo-Pacific, emphasizing bilateral and trilateral relationships: "We are not looking to create a formal broad alliance."
He also rejected reports of a shift away from countering China as a "mischaracterization," noting that focusing on the U.S. hemisphere does not distract from the "pacing threat" of China. Hegseth is on an Asia trip including Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea.