Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and US Defense (War Department) Secretary Pete Hegseth held talks at the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. on the 11th, discussing major alliance issues including the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) and alliance modernization, and agreed to strengthen future cooperation. The two sides also agreed to maintain close communication and promote cooperation in areas of mutual security interest. "The Korea-US alliance has stood together on a foundation of unwavering trust even in difficult times, and we will continue to cooperate closely with one voice going forward," Ahn said.
The meeting is significant in that it opened a channel for Korea and the US to coordinate at a high level on security issues piled up due to the protracted Iran war and North Korea's security threats. However, one should not overlook the fact that the two defense chiefs revealed clear differences in emphasis on key issues of interest. Hegseth strongly requested cooperation from allies and other partners for US military operations against Iran. He also emphasized alliance modernization and the Korea-US combined defense posture. This is interpreted as a remark reiterating the push for strategic flexibility of US Forces Korea. In contrast, Ahn argued for Korea-led defense of the peninsula, including the OPCON transfer, and stressed the need to secure Korea's core military capabilities. It is also regrettable that the meeting failed to lift the US restrictions on North Korea-related intelligence sharing, which have continued for more than a month following the information leak controversy involving Unification Minister Chung Dong-young.
Korea and the US must continue close communication in follow-up contacts, including the Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD), an assistant secretary-level consultative body, on security issues that were not resolved at this meeting. In particular, there is a need to calmly narrow differences over the target year for the OPCON transfer, as Korea is pushing for 2028 while US Forces Korea Commander Xavier Brunson mentioned the first quarter of 2029. Rather than being hasty, the government should squarely face the overarching principle of "conditions-based OPCON transfer" and devote attention and effort to expanding deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, which will form its foundation. In particular, diplomatic capabilities should be concentrated on actively persuading the US so that Korea's nuclear-powered submarine construction project, agreed upon at the summit between President Lee Jae-myung and US President Donald Trump, can proceed without setbacks, and on securing Korea's construction capabilities.
