Complete Verification of Transfer of Wartime Operational Control Will Not Be Done This Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The final verification of the Future Combined Forces Command's Full Operational Capability (FOC) for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) is expected to be postponed until next year. Originally, South Korea and the United States planned to conduct a joint exercise this month and carry out the FOC final verification, which was not conducted in the first half of this year, but the scale of the exercise was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to military officials on the 10th, from today, the military will conduct the Crisis Management Staff Training (CMST), a preliminary exercise for the joint training, from the 17th the first phase defense, and from the 24th the second phase counterattack training will begin. This exercise will be conducted in the form of a war game (Combined Command Post Exercise, CPX) using computer simulations without actual mobilization of troops and equipment.

South Korea and the U.S. are conducting verification evaluations for the OPCON transfer in the order of the first phase Initial Operational Capability (IOC), the second phase Full Operational Capability (FOC), and the third phase Full Mission Capability (FMC). Our military has insisted to the U.S. side that training should focus on the FOC verification evaluation of the Future Combined Forces Command this year for the OPCON transfer. However, due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, it has been difficult for reinforcement troops from the U.S. mainland to enter the country, resulting in a significant reduction in the scale of the exercise compared to previous years. Ultimately, through this exercise, the two countries are expected to verify only the core areas, with the remaining verification postponed until next year.

Jonathan Hoffman, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, also emphasized during a briefing on the 6th (local time) regarding the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise, "Due to COVID-19, there have been some changes to our mobility training," adding, "Some of these are related to our efforts to pursue the OPCON transfer. We will take the necessary measures to ensure that the Republic of Korea Armed Forces are fully capable (for the OPCON transfer)."