Red Light for 2022 Wartime Operational Control Transfer.. US Says "No Transfer Evaluation in August Joint Exercise"

VOA Reporter Citing US Official Tweet
"Possible Delay in South Korea's 2022 Full Operational Control Transition Goal"

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper held a phone conference on the 21st of last month, reaffirming their commitment to advancing the "conditional transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON)." The Ministry of National Defense stated that the reduction of U.S. Forces Korea was not discussed during the meeting and has never been discussed in the past. The photo shows the South Korean and U.S. defense ministers looking at each other during a joint press conference held at the Ministry of National Defense on November 15, 2019. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The joint South Korea-US military exercises will be held from the 16th to the 28th, but it has been revealed that the US side will not conduct the verification evaluation for the transfer of wartime operational control. If this continues, a red light will be lit on the South Korean government's goal of securing wartime operational control by 2022.

William Gallo, head of the Voice of America (VOA) Korea bureau, confirmed this through Twitter on the 10th (local time), citing a US official.

Gallo emphasized that the official mentioned the verification evaluation for transferring wartime operational control from the United Nations Command to the South Korean military will not be included in this exercise.

The official explained that due to South Korea's quarantine guidelines related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), it is impossible to dispatch personnel to conduct the verification evaluation.

The official further raised the possibility that the schedule for the transfer of wartime operational control could be delayed due to the lack of verification evaluation. The official stressed, "Any decision regarding the transfer of wartime operational control will be made at the alliance level, but it should be based on mutually agreed conditions rather than a fixed timetable."

In response, Gallo predicted that if the verification evaluation for the transfer of operational control is not conducted, the transfer of operational control, which the Moon Jae-in administration aimed for by 2022, will inevitably be delayed.

Previously, both South Korea and the US were reported to focus on the transfer of operational control as they resumed the joint exercises that had been suspended due to COVID-19. Jonathan Hoffman, spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, also recalled the connection between this joint exercise and the transfer of wartime operational control on the 6th. Hoffman mentioned that although there are changes in mobility and training due to the impact of COVID-19, the continuous conduct of joint exercises is related to the transfer of wartime operational control.