U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, right, hosts Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back for an honor cordon ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington on May 11. [GETTY IMAGES/YONHAP]
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back confirmed that South Korea had informed Washington it was reviewing “step-by-step contributions” toward restoring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz while acknowledging that Seoul and Washington hold “different views” on the timeline for transferring wartime operational control (Opcon).
Ahn addressed U.S. requests for South Korean support regarding the Iran war at a press briefing at the South Korean Embassy in Washington on Tuesday, a day after meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“We told [the United States] that we would participate as a responsible member of the international community and that we are reviewing ways to contribute in stages,” Ahn said.
“We explained that we may even review providing military resources, but only based on domestic legal procedures,” he added.
“Operation Epic Fury clearly demonstrates this administration’s unwavering commitment to confronting threats and defending those interests,” Hegseth said during his talks with Ahn on Monday. “In this current global threat environment, the strength of our alliance is critical.”
The remarks were widely interpreted as a public call for South Korean military support, as cease-fire negotiations with Iran remain stalled.
U.S. President Donald Trump specifically called on South Korea to join in the U.S. military efforts after claiming that the fire on the Korean vessel HMM Namu on Monday was the result of an Iranian attack.
However, Hegseth did not explicitly request South Korean participation in the conflict during their meeting on Monday.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, right, welcomes Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back during a ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington on May 11. [AP/YONHAP]
According to Ahn, the discussions touched on a phased approach to South Korea’s possible involvement in the Iran war, beginning with expressions of support and potentially expanding to deploying personnel, sharing intelligence and support involving military assets.
“We did not hold in-depth discussions about expanding the South Korean military’s direct involvement, and any such measures would also have to follow our domestic legal procedures,” Ahn emphasized.
Earlier on Monday, the Blue House strongly condemned the explosion of the South Korean vessel HMM Namu near the Strait of Hormuz after determining that an external attack had caused the fire. It also pledged to continue participating in international efforts to ensure maritime safety and freedom of navigation.
Regarding the Opcon transfer, Hegseth expressed support for a “conditions-based” transfer, according to Ahn.
“Hegseth fully agreed with the conditions-based Opcon transfer and hopes the transition can take place as soon as possible,” the Korean defense minister said. “That view was also shared not only by [U.S.] congressional leaders but by Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy [Hung Cao] as well.
Korea's Ministry of National Defense officials, left, meet with U.S. Department of Defense officials at the Pentagon in Washington on May 11. [MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE]
“South Korea’s position is that wartime Opcon should be transferred at an early date, and there has been absolutely no wavering on that point.”
South Korea and the United States broadly agree on transferring wartime Opcon, but concerns over differing timelines emerged after Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK), said last month that the required conditions would likely be met in the first quarter of 2029.
The South Korean government hopes to complete the transfer before 2028.
“That remark [by Brunson] came from a military official speaking from the perspective of the Combined Forces Command,” Ahn said. “The transfer of wartime Opcon follows a protocol in which recommendations are first made to the defense ministers of both countries through the Military Committee Meeting, then forwarded through the [U.S.-ROK] Security Consultative Meeting before being submitted to the presidents for a final decision.”
The ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, the official name for South Korea.
U.S. troops attend a ceremony on a U.S. base in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi, on July 6, 2023. [YONHAP]
At the same time, Ahn acknowledged subtle differences between the two sides.
“There are some areas in which the U.S. side has somewhat different thoughts than we do,” he said, suggesting that the allies are still working to narrow those differences.
Ahn also addressed South Korea’s push to build nuclear-powered submarines, an initiative previously agreed to by South Korea’s leaders and those of the United States.
“I believe security issues should be approached on a separate track from economic matters,” he said. “Both sides agree that working-level talks should be launched as soon as possible, even though the United States is currently at war with Iran.”
Ahn also said his talks with Hegseth did not include any discussion of reducing USFK troops or expanding its strategic flexibility.
“Based on the firm trust in the South Korea-U.S. alliance, there were discussions about steadily strengthening the alliance’s capabilities and readiness for extended deterrence against nuclear and missile threats,” he said regarding North Korea.
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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