South Korea and US defense chiefs agreed in Seoul to develop a roadmap expediting conditions for wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer. The pact aligns with President Lee Jae Myung's push to regain OPCON by 2030. The joint communique omitted pledges to maintain current US Forces Korea levels, fueling drawdown speculation.
At the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul on November 4, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed to develop a roadmap to "expedite" conditions for wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer. The joint communique seeks certification of "full operational capability (FOC)" for the Future-Combined Forces Command Headquarters in 2026, the second stage of a three-phase program.
The document omitted a standard pledge to maintain the "current level" of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea (USFK), sparking speculation of a possible troop drawdown. "The two leaders pledged to develop a roadmap to acquire the capabilities necessary to expedite the implementation of conditions required for wartime OPCON transition, and to pursue the certification of Full Operational Capability of Future-Combined Forces Command Headquarters in 2026," the communique stated.
Both sides reaffirmed that OPCON transition must occur in a "systematic, stable, and proactive" manner only after meeting conditions, including South Korea's ability to lead combined forces, strike and air defense capabilities, and a conducive regional security environment. OPCON was transferred to the US-led UN Command during the 1950-53 Korean War and to the Combined Forces Command in 1978; peacetime control returned to Seoul in 1994, but wartime remains with the US.
Public opinion is divided: opponents fear diminished US security commitments, while supporters view it as enhancing South Korea's autonomy. South Korea plans to raise defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP "as soon as possible." Ahn stated, "We emphasized our determination to continuously strengthen defense capabilities so that South Korea can play a leading role in defending the security of the Korean Peninsula based on a powerful combined defense posture."
During the SCM, Hegseth announced the first US warship maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) in South Korea, termed "historic progress." The allies reaffirmed the four pillars of the 2018 Singapore summit and pledged to continue the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), launched in July 2023 with its fourth session in Washington in January 2025. The communique dropped last year's stern warning against North Korean nuclear attacks but stressed Taiwan Strait stability.
The agreement aims to modernize the alliance amid China's assertiveness, North Korea's nuclear threats, and a global arms race. A joint fact sheet detailed South Korea's pledges: $25 billion in US arms purchases by 2030 and $33 billion in USFK support. Cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines was also affirmed.