First Transfer of Wartime Operational Control Discussion under Biden Administration

South Korea and the United States agreed not only on the transfer of wartime operational control but also on the retention of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division's 210th Field Artillery Brigade north of the Han River.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] For the first time since the launch of the Joe Biden administration, South Korea and the United States will discuss the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON).

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 12th, South Korea and the U.S. will hold the 19th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) meeting in Washington D.C. for two days, covering almost all issues concerning the Korea-U.S. alliance. The agenda includes assessments of North Korea’s movements and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, establishment of combined defense posture, transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), implementation plans for extended deterrence, cooperation on North Korea policy such as denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and conditions for U.S. Forces Korea training.

South Korea and the U.S. plan to hold another KIDD meeting around September to discuss the agenda items, including those discussed this time, and submit the results to the 53rd Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) scheduled for October.

There may be differences of opinion between South Korea and the U.S. regarding the OPCON transfer and Korea-U.S. combined exercises. The South Korean side insists that a Future Combined Command full operational capability (FOC) verification exercise should be conducted in the second half of the year concerning the OPCON transfer, while the U.S. side emphasizes the “fulfillment of transfer conditions,” making it difficult to reach a consensus. In particular, the issue of Korea-U.S. combined exercises, which the U.S. side has mentioned normal implementation after the new government’s launch, is also expected to be addressed, leading to anticipated tensions.

Attending the meeting from South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense are Kim Man-gi, Director of Defense Policy, Kim Sang-jin, Director of International Policy, and Cho Yong-geun, Director of North Korea Policy. From the U.S. side, David Helvey, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, and Siddhartha Mohandas, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia, will participate.