South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said he holds "slightly different views" from the United States on the timing of the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON).
Ahn made the remarks at a briefing held at the Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, local time. "There is no change in the procedure under which the defense ministers of the two countries will determine the year of OPCON transfer at the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in November, with the presidents of both nations giving final approval," he said. The government reportedly believes that the gap in perceptions between the two sides is narrowing and that significant progress has been made. "U.S. Defense Secretary (War Secretary) Pete Hegseth fully agrees with a conditions-based OPCON transfer and hopes it will be carried out promptly on that basis," Ahn said. "We also have a firm intention to transfer it at an early date."
According to the Defense Ministry, although Hegseth pressed for allied participation in reopening passage through the Strait of Hormuz during his opening remarks at the meeting, no further mention was made during the actual talks. "I told him, 'Basically, we will participate as a responsible member of the international community. We will review ways to contribute in stages,'" Ahn said. On the phased contribution approach, the South Korean side explained a four-stage plan to the United States, premised on compliance with domestic and international law: ▲expression of support ▲dispatch of personnel ▲information sharing ▲military assets.
Regarding the construction of a South Korean nuclear-powered submarine agreed upon at the Korea-U.S. summit, Ahn said, "Security matters must be approached on a different track from economic issues." He added, "Although the United States is at war with Iran, we share the view with the U.S. that working-level talks must be held promptly given relations with China and North Korea." Ahn said the meeting was arranged at the South Korean side's proposal, and that issues such as a reduction of U.S. Forces Korea and the strategic flexibility of U.S. troops were not discussed at all.
Separately, at a budget hearing in the U.S. Congress that day, Hegseth asserted that the recent transfer of part of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed in South Korea to the Middle East had been planned in advance. Asked by a Democratic lawmaker, "Part of the THAAD and Patriot systems deployed in South Korea were withdrawn to the Middle East, and it was done hastily after the war with Iran ended (after the ceasefire). Can you confirm that all of this was part of the plan?" Hegseth replied, "Every aspect was carefully reviewed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the civilian leadership."
