Defense Minister clarifies OPCON comments were a rebuttal, not a critique of U.S. trust
South Korea's Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said his remarks about U.S. trust were meant to counter a lawmaker's skepticism over the OPCON handover, not to question the ally's reliability.
During a parliamentary audit, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul addressed comments from opposition lawmaker Sung Il-jong, who expressed reservations about South Korea's effort to take back operational control (OPCON) from Washington. Kang asked rhetorically whether the United States could be relied upon in a potential war with North Korea, arguing that such a premise would undermine the OPCON shift. The Defense Ministry's spokesperson, Chung Binna, clarified that Kang's intent was to rebut the lawmaker's logic, not to suggest the U.S. was untrustworthy.
Chung highlighted that Kang subsequently reiterated his confidence in the alliance throughout the hearing. The ministry urged observers to view the full footage to understand the context, stating that Kang's comments align with the roadmap for a combined forces system led by a South Korean general with U.S. support.
Why it matters
The clarification affects public perception of South Korea's defense policy and its alliance with the United States.
In this story
