Seoul: South Korea has stated that it has not received any proposal from the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to change the existing combined command structure agreement following the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, according to the country's defense ministry.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the statement from the South Korean defense ministry came after a report by the Chosun Ilbo suggested that the USFK had expressed concerns about proceeding with the OPCON transition before all military requirements were met. The report indicated that such a move could complicate U.S. troop operations under South Korean command and potentially lead to the dissolution of the Combined Forces Command.

The ministry reiterated that both South Korea and the U.S. are committed to maintaining the current Combined Forces Command structure after the OPCON transfer to ensure a strong combined defense. An agreement was reached in 2018 to establish a "Future Combined Forces Command," akin to the existing system, once the OPCON transition is finalized.

The ministry stated, "The USFK has never mentioned any proposal to our military on altering the existing arrangement." Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna dismissed the Chosun Ilbo report as "baseless" and expressed regret over the report's potential to undermine the bilateral alliance with the United States. South Korea aims to complete the OPCON transfer by 2028, aligning with President Lee Jae Myung's administration's goals to achieve it before the end of its term in 2030.

During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson mentioned that the allies are targeting the first quarter of 2029 to meet the conditions for the transfer, raising concerns about potential discrepancies in timing between the allies.

The allies have been preparing for a conditions-based OPCON transition since their agreement in October 2014, which requires South Korea to demonstrate capabilities in leading combined forces, strike and air defense, and ensuring a favorable regional security environment.

The Chosun Ilbo report suggested the USFK communicated its concerns to U.S. Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby during his visit to Seoul and later to the South Korean side. An official from USFK reaffirmed the commitment to a conditions-based OPCON transfer, without directly addressing the report, emphasizing the focus on strengthening combined defense and ensuring the security of both South Korea and the U.S.

South Korea delegated operational control of its troops to the U.S.-led U.N. Command during the Korean War and later to the Combined Forces Command in 1978. Peacetime OPCON was returned to Seoul in 1994, while wartime OPCON remains under U.S. control.