SCM to Be Held on November 4
The Highest-Level Body for Discussing Key Military Policies
Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, who will visit South Korea for two days early next month to attend the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the United States, is scheduled to visit the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom as his first official activity in South Korea, a senior official from the U.S. Department of Defense said on October 28.
Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense, is speaking at the 250th anniversary ceremony of the U.S. Marine Corps held at Camp Pendleton, California, on the 18th (local time). Photo by AFP Yonhap News
The official, who is accompanying Secretary Hegseth on his tour, told reporters aboard a flight to Japan that "he will visit the JSA, meet with South Korean Minister of National Defense Shin Kyungbae, and have the opportunity to express his gratitude to South Korean and U.S. service members stationed in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)."
It has also been reported that Secretary Hegseth is scheduled to visit Camp Humphreys, the U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek, during his stay in South Korea.
Regarding whether the U.S. Department of Defense supports the Lee Jaemyung administration's push for "OPCON transfer during the current term," the official stated, "We strongly support South Korea taking a more leading role in conventional defense to deter North Korea. We support such efforts."
The official added, "We are well aware that President Lee Jaemyung has made the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) his top priority, and Secretary Hegseth is very much looking forward to discussing this issue with Minister Shin at the SCM."
He continued, "As for the specific details of the OPCON transfer, we will leave those matters for the ministers themselves to discuss directly."
On November 4, Secretary Hegseth is scheduled to hold the 57th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul with South Korean Minister of National Defense Shin Kyungbae. This meeting is the highest-level consultative body in the defense sector between South Korea and the United States, coordinating and discussing key military policies of both countries.
Secretary Hegseth is currently on a tour of the Indo-Pacific region, including Hawaii, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
