U.S. and South Korea clash over timing of wartime command handover

Washington has expressed reservations about proceeding with the planned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States to South Korea, arguing that the security landscape is shifting faster than before due to North Korea’s advanced nuclear and missile programs. A senior U.S. official, speaking anonymously, said both capitals must remain prepared to deter and defeat any regional threats, suggesting that an early handover might compromise that readiness.

The comments arrived a day after President Lee Jae Myung pledged to fulfill his campaign promise of returning wartime OPCON to Seoul promptly, describing the move as essential for South Korean sovereignty. The OPCON framework, agreed in 2014, is conditions-based, meaning Seoul must possess the requisite military capabilities before assuming command. Since the Korean War, operational authority has moved from the United Nations Command to the combined U.S.-South Korean command, with peacetime control given to Seoul in 1994 but wartime command still held by the U.S. Forces Korea chief. The dispute highlights differing assessments of threat levels and the pace at which South Korea can take on full wartime command responsibilities.