Pentagon says wartime OPCON handover to South Korea stays conditional amid timing dispute

A Pentagon spokesperson told Yonhap that the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea will proceed only after both nations confirm that preset conditions are met, and the United States will not predetermine the outcome. President Lee Jae Myung, marking his 500th day in office, said South Korea is ready to assume OPCON early and that negotiations are progressing favorably. In Washington, U.S. Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson highlighted that North Korea’s recent missile launches have changed the security landscape, suggesting that the standards for the handover may need revision.

The South Korean defense ministry later cautioned that shifting criteria could make the transfer unattainable. Historically, wartime OPCON has been held by the United States since the Korean War, while peacetime control returned to Seoul in 1994. The debate continues as Seoul seeks to secure the handover before its term ends in 2030.