A special advisory committee on military reform has recommended establishing a joint operations command to prepare for the handover of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington. The proposal aims to achieve the conditions-based transfer within President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ending in 2030. The defense ministry plans to review and incorporate the committee's details into its reform policy.
On January 20, 2026, South Korea's defense ministry announced that a special advisory committee on military reform has recommended establishing a joint operations command to prepare for the handover of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States. The committee, comprising civilian, government, and military officials, aims to unify the command structure and enhance wartime and peacetime operational control, as stated in the ministry's release: "(The committee) suggested establishing a joint operations command for unifying the command structure and enhancing the completion of wartime and peacetime operational command."
Under the plan, the new command would lead operational functions currently handled by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), allowing the JCS to focus on military strategy, force building, and overseas deployments. The reforms also include redefining the Strategic Command's role to ensure strategic autonomy and launching a space command to address evolving space security and future warfare trends. The Drone Operations Command is advised to be scrapped due to overlaps with branch-specific functions.
To counter North Korean threats, the committee urged early deployment of key assets like high-power, high-precision anti-ballistic missiles, the long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) interception system, and military satellites. It also called for an annual 10 percent increase in the defense research and development budget for technologies such as artificial intelligence, defense semiconductors, and robotics.
The proposals come amid efforts to rebuild the military following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law attempt in late 2024, which resulted in the dismissal of numerous senior officers. The committee recommended revising military law to include detailed rules on assessing order legitimacy, exempting those who defy unlawful superior orders from punishment, and limiting the martial law commander's authority.
Defense ministry spokesperson Chung Binna stated in a briefing: "The defense ministry plans to take into account the details announced by the committee in the defense reform policy following a review of its validity." These measures seek to bolster South Korea's military readiness and autonomy.
