President Lee Jae Myung on Monday renewed his call for South Korea to regain wartime operational control from the United States as early as possible, insisting that the process should be described as “regaining” or “restoring” command rather than simply “transferring” it.
“To put it bluntly, we must regain wartime operational control at an early date, and we are fully capable of doing so,” Lee said during an impromptu meeting with reporters at the presidential press center, Chunchugwan, where he discussed key state affairs, including the economy and foreign and security policy.
“Consultations between Korea and the US are generally moving toward its return, although the process will not be easy,” Lee added.
His remarks came amid signs of differences between Seoul and Washington over the pace of the wartime OPCON transfer, which the Lee administration aims to complete before its five-year term ends in 2030.
Last week, Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, cautioned against rushing the process, saying that evolving security threats, including North Korea’s increasingly advanced missile capabilities, had created “new standards” that must be met before wartime operational control, or OPCON, can be handed over.
Lee, however, stressed that South Korea’s economic and military capabilities were sufficient to justify reclaiming command of its own forces during wartime.
