National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac speaks at an event at the Seoul Press Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on May 13. [YONHAP]
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac expressed optimism Sunday that Seoul and Washington can reach an agreement on the timing of the transfer of wartime operational control (Opcon), saying the allies remain broadly aligned ahead of key military reviews later this year.
“There have been continued consultations between the militaries, and there is no major gap in the timing under discussion,” Wi said during a televised interview, adding that coordination should be possible because “the requisite conditions have largely been met” and “there is no significant difference in timing.”
Under the allies’ conditions-based Opcon transition plan, the transfer hinges on a three-stage verification process measuring South Korea’s readiness to lead combined allied forces in wartime.
The first-stage initial operational capability assessment was completed in 2019, while a full operational capability (FOC) review will test whether a future South Korean-led command can carry out major wartime missions.
A final full mission capability assessment must be completed before the transfer can formally take place.
Wi’s remarks suggest Seoul sees room for compromise as the allies prepare to discuss an Opcon road map and conduct the FOC assessment later this year, both of which are expected to shape the timing of the transfer.
He also emphasized that the issue ultimately requires political willpower from both governments.
“Meeting military conditions is important, but fundamentally this is a political decision,” he said. “Discussions on timing will likely begin in earnest in the second half of this year, and South Korea and the United States will have to find some point of compromise.”
Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of United States Forces Korea, responds to lawmakers’ questions during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington on April 21. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
His remarks came after Gen. Xavier Brunson, chief of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and the Combined Forces Command (CFC), told the U.S. Senate last month that the transition remains strictly “conditions-based,” pushing back against any suggestion of an accelerated timeline driven by political considerations.
Wi downplayed the significance of Brunson’s remarks, saying that he “testified before the Senate about the matters he considers important from a military perspective.”
Wi further reiterated President Lee Jae Myung’s position that the transfer should take place “as soon as possible within this administration’s term,” which is due to end in 2030.
He said that the final decision could be addressed “at the level of talks between the leaders, or senior-level dialogue capable of representing the leaders.”
Operational control over South Korean forces was first handed to the United States in 1950 by then-President Syngman Rhee to U.S. General Douglas MacArthur during the 1950-53 Korean War.
South Korea regained peacetime control in 1994, but wartime control has remained in U.S. hands.
The allies initially agreed in 2007 to transfer wartime Opcon in 2012, but the two scrapped fixed deadlines in 2014 in favor of the current conditions-based approach.
Wi also said there had been “some progress” in talks behind the scenes with Washington over issues including South Korea’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and revisions to the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement.
“We are trying to ensure that discussions on uranium enrichment, reprocessing and nuclear-powered submarines can begin in earnest as soon as possible so that we can deliver good news in the near future,” he said.
Wi also sought to allay concerns that USFK could be deployed elsewhere in the region, including in a Taiwan contingency.
“The first and foremost mission of USFK and the CFC is to respond to threats from North Korea, but there is some degree of flexibility,” he said while stressing that any broader USFK operations would be coordinated with South Korea to avoid drawing the country into unwanted conflicts.
The damage suffered by the Korean-operated cargo ship HMM Namu near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen in this photo shared by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 10. [FOREIGN MINISTRY]
Separately, Wi maintained the government’s position that it has not yet identified the culprit behind the recent attack on the Korean-operated cargo ship HMM Namu, which suffered major damage to its hull earlier this month near the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has closed to most commercial shipping since the start of hostilities with the United States and Israel.
“At this point, no specific actor has been identified,” he said, adding the government “will take necessary follow-up measures accordingly.”
Wi compared the case to the 2010 sinking of the naval corvette Cheonan, noting that while there were early suspicions, authorities formally identified North Korea as the perpetrator only after completing an investigation.
Regarding continued U.S. pressure for allied participation in military operations to open the Strait of Hormuz, Wi said Seoul would contribute “to the extent that is necessary,” noting that South Korea is already engaged in talks with countries such as Britain and France to maintain the safety of civilian vessels using the strategic waterway.
He added that Washington’s proposed Maritime Freedom Coalition shared similarities with ongoing multinational efforts and that Seoul was reviewing the initiative “from the same fundamental position.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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