Regarding the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-cheol said on the 26th, "South Korea and the United States are closely consulting with the authorities to complete FOC (Full Operational Capability) verification and determine 'Year X' (Year of OPCON transfer)."
Minister Kang responded as follows when Rep. Kim Byeong-ju of the Democratic Party of Korea mentioned the ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) to be held later this year during a comprehensive audit of the Ministry of National Defense by the National Assembly's National Defense Committee and pointed out, "Now, conditions are important, but the timing must be nailed down clearly."
When Rep. Kim asked, "Is there a response scenario if the U.S. does not agree on a definite (transition) time in the SCM?" Minister Kang emphasized, "We can come up with various plans, but so far, we are closely cooperating with the U.S."
Minister Kang also responded to Democratic Party lawmaker Chun Jun-ho's point that the transition year should be confirmed before the next US presidential election in November 2028, saying, "We have an overall consensus with the US regarding year X."
When asked if he intended to confirm the transition year as 2028, he said, "I can't give you a confirmation here because we have a counterpart, but we are moving toward our goal."
Since there is a consensus between Korea and the United States on determining the transition year with the completion of FOC verification, it is interpreted that efforts will be made to determine the year as soon as possible.
FOC verification is the second step in the process of verifying whether the Future Combined Forces Command (Future Combined Forces Command), which will be commanded by a four-star general of the Korean military after the transfer of wartime operational control, has secured the ability to perform its mission.
The government's goal is to determine the year of OPCON transfer (year
However, as there are still differences of opinion between Korea and the United States on whether the conditions necessary for FOC verification are met, it is reported that the government will focus on resolving the differences through SCM. The ROK and US defense authorities are coordinating the specific SCM schedule, but depending on the circumstances of both countries and the trend of wartime operational control discussions, the possibility of extending it beyond the year is being cautiously raised.
At the National Assembly inspection on this day, Minister Kang responded to the criticism of Rep. Seong Il-jong of the People's Power Party who expressed concern that "the transfer of wartime operational control is a matter of the survival of the people," and refuted, "It is too much to say that if wartime operational control is transferred, it will be as if our country is ruined and our survival is threatened."
In response to Rep. Seong's claim that even the United States, the world's most powerful country, is struggling in the war with Iran, he asked, "Then can we trust the U.S. military when a war with North Korea breaks out?" He emphasized, "Because that is not the case, while trust is guaranteed, we must transfer wartime operational control and create a system led by a Korean general who knows Korea well and supported by the U.S. military."
Minister Kang also responded to the criticism that information sharing on North Korea is being limited due to the recent disharmony between South Korea and the United States, saying, “That is too exaggerated,” adding, “We are sharing information well.”
He also introduced that he proposed a meeting between the inter-Korean military authorities on the 23rd as a "strategic plan that we should propose at a time like this," taking into account the urgent visit to the front line by Kim Yo-jong, the head of the Workers' Party's General Affairs Department and the North Korean military leadership, and the expected timing of Chairman Kim Jong-un's visit to China, which he has been tracking.
He also said, “Why did Kim Yo-jong and Park Jeong-cheon suddenly run to the front lines?” and emphasized that they “ran because they felt” our military’s response to the North Korean land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Minister Kang said about the prospect of a successful military-government meeting, saying, “We are still not completely giving up on the possibility,” and added, “Dialogue still needs to continue.”
He added, “I don’t think it is logically correct to say that the suggestion of military talks itself is submissive,” and added, “We will manage both (firm response and dialogue) in parallel and manage them well.”
Meanwhile, Minister Kang said, "I strongly expressed and spoke about my concerns at the working level" regarding the remarks made by Commander of the 8th US Army Joseph Hilbert in a foreign media interview to the effect that the 8th US Army troops could be deployed not only to the Korean Peninsula but also to other threats in the region.
In addition, regarding the issue of integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force military academies, he said, "We are listening to opinions," and added, "We will soon meet with the president of the alumni association and go to each military academy to hear the opinions of cadets and principals."
Since taking office, Minister Kang has stated several times that he will collect opinions and make any supplements to the existing government's basic plan for military academy integration. It is reported that a meeting with the Army, Navy, and Construction Alumni Association will be considered as early as next week.
