Photo courtesy of Anadolu
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung renewed his goal of placing his country’s forces under Seoul’s command during wartime before his presidential term ends in 2030.
Lee told his Cabinet on Tuesday that the transfer of wartime operational control, known as OPCON, should be completed within his term, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
The arrangement dates back to the Korean War, when South Korea placed operational control of its military under the US-led United Nations Command. Wartime authority was later transferred to the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command in 1978.
Seoul regained peacetime control of its armed forces in 1994, but the command structure during a war has remained under the alliance. Plans for South Korea to eventually assume wartime OPCON have been under discussion between Seoul and Washington for years.
Lee argued that greater command responsibility had become increasingly important as military threats expanded beyond conventional combat to include cyberattacks and other forms of hybrid warfare.
He also instructed officials to accelerate preparations for South Korea’s planned acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, part of a broader effort to strengthen the country’s independent defense capabilities.
His remarks came as South Korea and the United States began their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises on Monday. US President Donald Trump had earlier directed the Pentagon to significantly scale back joint exercises as Washington explored renewed engagement with North Korea.
Lee maintained that strengthening South Korea’s military capabilities and assuming greater responsibility for its defense would reinforce, rather than diminish, its alliance with Washington. He also pushed ahead with plans to consolidate the country’s three military academies into a single institution.