Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung announced South Korea's intention to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States during his term, viewing it as an opportunity to enhance the bilateral alliance with the U.S. Lee made these comments in a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as shared by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung in a written briefing. The meeting was part of the annual security talks aimed at modernizing the alliance between Seoul and Washington.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee emphasized that the early transfer of wartime OPCON would deepen the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. as his term is set to conclude in 2030. He highlighted that strengthening the Korean military's capabilities and taking a leading role in the defense of the Korean Peninsula would alleviate the U.S. defense burden in the Indo-Pacific region.
Seoul's push for OPCON transfer aligns with its efforts to advance its independent defense capabilities, with the U.S. encouraging South Korea to assume greater security responsibilities. The transition is conditioned-based, as South Korea originally handed over operational control during the 1950-53 Korean War and regained peacetime OPCON in 1994.
President Lee also expressed appreciation for U.S. President Donald Trump's support of South Korea's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines, stating this would significantly enhance the Korean military's capabilities and bilateral alliance. Defense Secretary Hegseth welcomed South Korea's increased defense spending and efforts to bolster defense capabilities through advanced conventional weapons and nuclear-powered submarines.
Hegseth anticipated that collaboration in the shipbuilding industry, including joint production of naval vessels, would bolster the defense capabilities of both nations. Earlier, during discussions with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, Hegseth indicated Washington's commitment to facilitating Trump's promise to allow South Korea to build nuclear-powered submarines in a U.S. shipyard.
The approval for this initiative followed President Lee's request to Trump to permit Seoul to secure nuclear fuel for the submarines during a summit in Gyeongju. Trump confirmed the approval via social media, stating that South Korea would build a nuclear-powered submarine at a Philadelphia shipyard operated by Hanwha Ocean.