South Korea official says shifting goalposts could block wartime command transfer from US
Brunson said North Korea’s missile launches have changed the conditions for transferring wartime command, as Seoul and Washington debate the timeline.
- On Wednesday, U.S. Forces Korea Commander General Xavier Brunson said "conditions have changed" regarding the wartime operational control transfer from the United States to South Korea, stressing that new standards must be upheld.
- North Korea's test-firing of tactical ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Monday prompted Brunson to cite the incident as evidence that the security environment and operational plans have fundamentally shifted.
- Emphasizing that he is "pro-OPCON," Brunson stated, "We don't have the benefit of changing the conditions to time," while stressing the need for critical military capabilities over timeline pressure.
- South Korean Defence Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na told a briefing on Thursday that "if the goalposts keep moving, wartime operational control can never be transferred," expressing Seoul's frustration.
- Seoul aims to complete the transfer before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ends in 2030, yet potential delays to the Security Consultative Meeting signal challenges in verifying South Korean forces' capabilities.
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12 Articles
South Korea official says shifting goalposts could block wartime command transfer from US
South Korea's Defence Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday that continually changing the requirements for transferring wartime operational control from the United States could make the handover impossible.
Commander of U.S. Forces Korea Xavier Brunson stated that existing conditions and plans for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) have changed as the security environment on the Korean Peninsula shifts due to North Korean provocations. The U.S. side made clear that it prioritizes core military capabilities and the fulfillment of conditions over a transition focused on timing.
On the 14th (local time), Xavier Brunson, Commander of U.S. Forces Korea, expressed support for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) between South Korea and the U.S., but emphasized that as the security environment, including North Korea's military threats, has changed and military plans have been altered, military capabilities must be equipped to meet the previously agreed conditions and new standards prior to the transfer.
(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondents Park Sung-min and Jang Dong-woo = On the 14th (local time), U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson stated that the conditions for the transfer of Wartime Operational Control (OPCON) agreed upon between South Korea and the U.S....
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