Expert says OPCON transfer to South Korea won't weaken alliance, citing US pledge of enduring defense capabilities, mutual defense treaty, and 28,500 US troops on peninsula. South Korea seeks wartime OPCON by 2030, with target of Q1 2029 to meet conditions.
North Korea launched a Hwasong-11 tactical ballistic missile with cluster munitions on April 19, capable of devastating an area equivalent to 18 football pitches. The test is part of four missile launches this month alone, with weapons designed to target the Seoul metropolitan area. Meanwhile, concerns are growing over alliance trust after reports Washington partially restricted satellite intelligence sharing with Seoul following Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's public remarks about a North Korean nuclear facility in Kusong.
