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Korea Herald
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Presidential office plays down defense nominee's remarks on OPCON transfer
President Lee Jae Myung's office moved to clarify the administration's position on wartime control of the country's military Tuesday, after the nominee for defense chief, Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Ahn Gyu-back, painted taking full charge of operational control as a key goal. Speaking at a National Assembly hearing on his nomination as defense minister, Ahn said retrieving wartime operational control of the South Korean military from the US-led combined forces was a goal of the Lee administration. "We are aiming to complete the transition (of wartime OPCON) within the Lee administration's term of office," Ahn said in response to a question by People Power Party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun. The presidential office said however the idea of wartime OPCON transfer within Lee's term office of five years was Ahn's "personal view," and that no deadline has been set. Asked about the projected increase in defense spending once South Korea took full charge of wartime OPCON, Ahn replied, "It depends on the study, but I think it's around 21 trillion won." Reclaiming wartime control of the Korean military, a longtime Democratic Party agenda, was one of Lee's policy pledges as a presidential candidate, although he did not provide a specific timeline on when that might be achieved. Former President Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party had also sought to retake wartime control authority under the pretext of reducing Korea's reliance on the US for self-defense. At the hearing, Ahn drew the line on South Korea possibly developing nuclear latent capabilities. Nuclear latency is a state of having the technology and infrastructure necessary to build a nuclear weapon without necessarily owning one. Ahn also said that Seoul should always keep a wary eye on Pyongyang. "North Korea hasn't changed since the Korean War. We must always view the North with a question mark in mind, regardless of which administration is in power, but also remember that they are our fellow countrymen," he said. Ahn's remarks on Tuesday build on his interview with The Korea Herald on April 24, when he was chief special adviser to then-presidential runner Lee and already widely speculated to be his top choice for defense chief. In the interview, Ahn said that he believes South Korea should have full control of its military in peacetime and during war. Depending on the US for the country's own defense was turning South Korea's armed forces into a "mommy's boy," he said. Ahn also said in the interview that South Korea's falling out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to cultivate nuclear capabilities was "not an option."
Hans India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
South Korea aims to regain wartime command from US within Lee's term: Defence Minister nominee
Seoul: South Korea's Defence Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back said on Tuesday the Lee Jae Myung government aims to take back the wartime command of the country's troops from the United States within Lee's five-year term. Ahn made the remarks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing as South Korea seeks to retake it at a time when US President Donald Trump's administration has been urging Seoul and other allies to take on a greater security burden. Retaking wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington was among Lee's campaign pledges. "Through a periodic evaluation between South Korea and the US since 2006, I believe our military has made considerable accomplishments through strenuous efforts," Ahn said, hinting that the South Korean military has made progress in meeting conditions for the transition. Seoul and Washington have been working on the "conditions-based" OPCON transfer. Conditions include South Korea's capabilities to lead combined Korea-US forces, its strike and air defence capabilities, and a regional security environment conducive to such a handover. The OPCON transfer was supposed to occur in 2015 but was postponed, as the allies agreed in 2014 to a conditions-based handover -- rather than a timeline-based one -- due to Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile threats. Ahn pledged to militarily support the government's push to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula and mend strained ties with North Korea. The minister nominee emphasised the importance of leaving doors open for engagement with the North. "While establishing deterrence based on immense military power, a door for dialogue to ease tension and build trust should be left open," Ahn said, vowing to seek "strength-based" and "sustainable" peace. Still, he stated North Korea remains South Korea's "main enemy," and that combined drills between South Korea and the US should continue. "Our main enemy is North Korea, since the North has vigilantly sought to target us since the Korean War," Ahn said. "As a country that is rooted in a South Korea-US combined defence system, drills should take place in any case." Ahn's remarks drew a contrast from Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young, who said Monday he does not agree with the view that North Korea is South Korea's main enemy and called for a review of scaling down combined drills. The defence minister nominee also called for a "phased" approach to restoring an inter-Korean military tension reduction pact, saying steps should be carried out "gradually." Ahn, a five-term lawmaker who is the first civilian defence chief to be nominated in 64 years as defence minister, also vowed to rebuild the military into one that is trusted by the people. If appointed, Ahn will succeed former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who stands trial over allegedly playing a key role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition on December 3. "What we should do now is to correct the former administration's mistake over its illegal martial law imposition ... and firmly establish civilian control so the military is not used as a private means for (people in) power," he said, calling for the military to adhere to political neutrality. Ahn noted the military faces an array of challenges, ranging from uncertainties in the global security order and changes in warfare stemming from the development of cutting-edge technology, Yonhap news agency reported. He also mentioned how North Korea's continued nuclear and missile development and deepening strategic alignment among North Korea, China and Russia are ramping up tensions in Northeast Asia. Against such a backdrop, Ahn vowed to strengthen a defence cooperation network based on the South Korea-US alliance and trilateral cooperation, also involving Japan. --IANS int/jk/sd
Korea Herald
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Lee's defense nominee says wartime OPCON return a key goal
President Lee Jae Myung's nominee for defense chief, Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Ahn Gyu-back, said Tuesday that retrieving wartime operational control of the South Korean military from the US-led combined forces is a goal of the Lee administration. "We are aiming to complete the transition (of wartime OPCON) within the Lee administration's term of office," Ahn said at a National Assembly hearing on his nomination in response to a question by People Power Party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun. Asked about the projected increase in defense spending once South Korea took full charge of wartime OPCON, Ahn replied, "It depends on the study, but I think it's around 21 trillion won." Claiming wartime control of the Korean military was one of Lee's policy pledges as a presidential candidate, and has been a longtime Democratic Party agenda. Former President Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party had also sought to retake wartime control authority under the pretext of reducing Kore's reliance on the US for self-defense. At the hearing, Ahn drew the line on South Korea possibly developing nuclear latent capabilities, which would mean having the technology and infrastructure necessary to build a nuclear weapon without necessarily owning one. Ahn also said that Seoul should always keep a wary eye on Pyongyang. "North Korea hasn't changed since the Korean War. We must always view the North with a question mark in mind, regardless of which administration is in power, but also remember that they are our fellow countrymen," he said. Ahn's remarks on Tuesday build on his interview with The Korea Herald on April 24, when he was chief special adviser to then-presidential runner Lee and already widely speculated to be his top choice for defense chief. In the interview, Ahn said that he believes South Korea should have full control of its military in peacetime and during war. Depending on the US for the country's own defense was turning South Korea's armed forces into a "mommy's boy," he said. Ahn also said in the interview that South Korea falling out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty to cultivate nuclear capabilities was "not an option."
Korea Herald
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
S. Korea, US continue joint efforts to 'make progress' toward OPCON transition: Pentagon official
South Korea and the United States continue cooperation to "make progress" toward the transition of wartime operational control to Seoul, a Pentagon official said Friday, indicating that discussions on the major alliance issue are ongoing. The official made the remarks as new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration seeks to retake it at a time when US President Donald Trump's administration has been urging allies to take a greater security burden while prioritizing deterring Chinese threats. "The U.S. and ROK continue to work together to make progress toward OPCON transition," the official told Yonhap News Agency. ROK is short for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. The official added that the Pentagon has nothing to announce at this time. Seoul and Washington have been working on the "conditions-based" OPCON transfer. Conditions include South Korea's capabilities to lead combined Korea-US forces, its strike and air defense capabilities, and a regional security environment conducive to such a handover. During an interview with Yonhap News Agency in May last year, Elbridge Colby, currently under secretary of defense for policy, expressed his backing for the swift OPCON transition, saying the Asian ally should undertake "overwhelming" responsibility for its own defense. Retaking OPCON from Washington was among Lee's campaign pledges. On Wednesday, Wi Sung-lac, Lee's top security adviser, reiterated that the OPCON transition is one of Lee's pledges, while noting that past governments had also pursued the transfer. The public has been divided over the timing of the OPCON transition. Opponents have raised concerns that the OPCON transfer could lead to a weakening of America's security commitment at a time of deepening North Korean threats, while supporters agrue the transfer would bolster efforts to enhance South Korea's independent military capabilities and greater autonomy in the security alliance. South Korea handed over operational control of its troops to the US-led U.N. Command during the 1950-53 Korean War. Control was then transferred to the two allies' Combined Forces Command when the command was launched in 1978. Wartime operational control still remains in the U.S. hands, while South Korea retook peacetime OPCON in 1994. The OPCON transfer was supposed to occur in 2015 but was postponed, as the allies agreed in 2014 to a conditions-based handover -- rather than a timeline-based one -- due to Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile threats. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Strategic pivot, not pullback, if US troops relocate from Korea, says Harris
No US resistance to wartime OPCON transfer to S. Korea; handover depends on meeting conditions -- time, effort, money SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — Repositioning of US forces on the Korean Peninsula, even if it occurs, would not signify a diminution of America's defense commitment to South Korea, but rather reflect a strategic and holistic recalibration to meet regional challenges across the Indo-Pacific region, former US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said. Harris repudiated 'stovepiped' approaches, underscoring the improbability of conceiving of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula as discrete from a Taiwan crisis or other potential regional flashpoints, in an interview with The Korea Herald on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum at the International Convention Center Jeju. Anxiety over a possible reduction in the roughly 28,500 US troops in South Korea has flared anew, following a Wall Street Journal report in May that the Pentagon is weighing an option to pull out approximately 4,500 troops and move them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell publicly stated that the report of a US Forces Korea drawdown is 'not true,' but his denial has done little to assuage Seoul's concerns. 'There's always the possibility that we're going to restructure forces in the Pacific, but it's not a scaling back,' said Harris, a former four-star admiral in the US Navy and former commander of US Pacific Command, when asked about the prospect and feasibility of a USFK reduction. 'That term has a negative connotation. It implies that we're somehow going to reduce our commitment to Korea. I don't think that will ever happen.' Harris pointed to the Pentagon's classified internal 'Interim National Defense Guidance' — which he has not seen but was reported by the Washington Post in late March — as signaling a shift in US military focus to the Indo-Pacific region, with China identified as the central focus. 'That's not a negative reduction of forces. That's so that we are better postured to defend Korea and meet our obligations to our other treaty allies and deal with the possibility of having to confront China over Taiwan,' Harris said. Harris underscored the need for the US military to break down stovepipes to better cope with regional threats, admitting, 'We have been stovepiped in our approach to operational planning, and I was guilty of that when I was the PACOM commander.' 'We have the Taiwan problem, we have the North Korea problem, and we have the China problem, and we tend to look at these as if they're independent problem sets without any spillover of effects. And that's wrong. We have to look at it holistically,' Harris said. 'If we move forces from Korea to somewhere else, it's so that we can better integrate all of the challenges that we face in the Indo-Pacific. It's not a reduction in commitment; it's a refocusing of our ability to meet all of the challenges that confront us.' Asked whether the number of US troops in South Korea, by itself, is what matters most in terms of deterrence and the strength of the alliance, Harris said, 'No, it is not.' 'It is the commitment to defend Korea to the best of our ability in order to meet our treaty obligations,' Harris explained. 'If — this is a big if, this is hypothetical again — if North Korea invaded South Korea again, then it would require far more than the 28,000 troops that are here in South Korea to help South Korea defend itself.' Harris further highlighted that the US has air force wings and marine units stationed in Japan, and that the US 7th Fleet is based in Yokosuka, stating, 'There are forces that will come from all over the region.' In response to Seoul's growing apprehensions regarding the strategic flexibility of US Forces Korea, Harris emphasized that the issue ought to be viewed within the broader framework of addressing regional challenges through a holistic approach. Strategic flexibility means the ability to be rapidly redeployed for expeditionary operations and used for broader regional missions beyond the Korean Peninsula, including a potential Taiwan contingency. 'It would be hard to imagine a North Korean scenario independent of a Taiwan scenario, or some other scenario, if they were to happen. I see the hidden hand of China in a lot of this. And so, we cannot look at these things as independent actions,' Harris said. 'We have to consider them in a holistic way. And so that's why strategic flexibility is important — not only for the United States, but it's important for South Korea as well.' OPCON transfer when conditions are met With regard to the South Korean military's regaining of wartime operational control, or OPCON, Harris said the transfer will take place once the conditions agreed upon by both allies are met. 'There's no resistance from the United States on the idea of OPCON transition,' Harris said. 'I think it's simply a matter of meeting the conditions that were determined, and that's just a matter of time, effort and money.' When asked what ought to be the foremost priority for the South Korean military to further bolster its capabilities, should the US request that it assume a greater share of responsibility in countering North Korean threats, Harris identified command and control as one of the foremost priorities. 'One is command and control, which is not a thing, but a capability, in order to effectively command and control forces — including US forces,' Harris said. 'So, in order to effectively command and control forces — including US forces — if we achieve OPCON transition, the transition of operational control of Korean forces during wartime, then Korea will have to have the ability to command and control American forces as well as, obviously, Korean forces, for which you already have that capability.' Harris denied that any shift had taken place, responding to a question about whether the nature of the Korea-US alliance has changed under President Donald Trump's 'America First' doctrine. 'No, I don't think so. I think it's about focusing on the threats and how we are going to meet our treaty obligations.' At the same time, Harris noted that while burden-sharing negotiations are expected to continue, Washington's strategic focus is now shifting toward China and the broader Indo-Pacific region. As for Seoul, a debate exists over whether it should seek greater autonomy in its alliance amid Washington's more inward-looking 'America First' foreign policy. In response to such calls, Harris was unequivocal: 'Today, the alliance is needed more than ever. But that's my opinion.' 'If the South Korean people, as manifested by the people they elect into office, feel that the alliance has served its course, or if they feel — that's a hard point — that the alliance should somehow change so that Korea can embark on a more independent course, that's up to Korea,' Harris said. 'It's not up to the United States, nor is it up to anyone else. It's an independent decision that has to be made by both countries. We can't want it more than South Korea wants it.' dagyumji@
