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National security adviser
dismisses concerns over Korea-US alliance amid multiple disputes
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By
Yi Whan-woo
Published
Apr 24, 2026 12:11 pm
KST
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac gives a press briefing on President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to Vietnam at a hotel in Hanoi, Thursday. Yonhap
HANOI — National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac put aside concerns over the Korea-United States alliance in the wake of a series of incidents fueling wild speculation that the relationship is under strain.
“I believe it is an overinterpretation to say the current situation has resulted from accumulated signs of strain over time,” he said in reference to incidents involving Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, e-commerce giant Coupang and wartime operational control (OPCON), tangled across security, defense, diplomacy, economy and commerce.
Responsible for coordinating foreign, defense and intelligence policies within the presidential office, Wi’s made the remarks, Thursday, during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visits to India and Vietnam this week, as controversies surrounding these incidents have not let up.
Chung has been criticized for an alleged “leak” of shared U.S. intelligence on North Korea’s nuclear facilities, with the U.S. reportedly restricting intelligence sharing in part afterward.
In addition, 54 U.S. lawmakers, in a joint letter, accused the Seoul government of “discriminatory regulatory action” against Coupang, which is headquartered in the U.S. but operates primarily in Korea.
The two allies also differ over the timing of the transfer of wartime OPCON, with Korea favoring 2028 and the United States 2029.
“It is not always possible to reach full agreements on everything. Different views can exist, and therefore they must be properly coordinated,” Wi said. “Some of the current issues are among those matters, and we are working to coordinate them.”
As for the unification minister, Wi pointed to Chung and the ministry’s explanations that the disputed information was obtained through various channels, including open sources, and therefore the incident should not be seen as a leak of shared U.S. intelligence.
The national security adviser also pointed to the president rejecting allegations against Chung in a social media post, Monday.
“That is how it is understood, and the government holds that view as well,” he said.
Regarding the U.S lawmakers’ joint letter concerning Coupang, Wi said a country “may express its position on companies, and that is one matter on its own.”
He went on to say that “linking the (commercial) issue to security should be a separate matter,” with reference to delays in bilateral negotiations on nuclear-powered submarines, as well as uranium enrichment and reprocessing.
“It is true that these negotiations are being delayed, which I believe is not helpful to the alliance as a whole,” Wi said. “We are making significant efforts to resume consultations, and we will redouble those efforts so that we can make progress.”
As for OPCON, the national security adviser assessed that Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), appeared to be expressing “his personal view as a USFK commander” when he testified before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Wednesday (local time).
Brunson said the two allies are working toward meeting OPCON transition conditions no later than 2029.
The Lee administration, meanwhile, is considering 2028 — before the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s term — as the target year for the transfer.
“This issue is not one to be handled by military commanders, but rather by the foreign and defense authorities of Korea and the U.S.,” Wi said.
He explained that OPCON, although its military aspects cannot be disregarded, is “fundamentally a political decision.”
“The decision will be made by the leadership of both governments … We will make every effort to ensure that the transfer of OPCON takes place as soon as possible without any military gaps, and without undermining the Korea-U.S. combined defense system.”
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