Recommendation to Establish 'Joint Operations Command' for OPCON Transfer; Drone Operations Command to Be Abolished

Future Strategy Subcommittee of the Civil-Military Joint Special Advisory Committee
Announces Recommendations for Military Structure Reform

In preparation for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of the South Korean military, a plan to establish a "Joint Operations Command" has been recommended to unify the command structure and ensure the integrity of operational command both during wartime and peacetime. Additionally, it was suggested that the Drone Operations Command, established under the administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol, should be abolished, and that a "Space Command" should be created to address the needs of future warfare.

The Future Strategy Subcommittee of the Civil-Military Joint Special Advisory Committee for Overcoming National Crises and Designing Future Defense under the Ministry of National Defense, chaired by Kim Jeongseop, Senior Research Fellow at the Sejong Institute, announced these recommendations for military structure reform on January 20, 2026. The advisory report includes defense reform tasks and implementation strategies in the following areas: ▲ future defense strategy concepts ▲ command and unit structure reform ▲ force structure reform ▲ personnel structure reform.

Yonhap News Agency

First, regarding the command and unit structure, the establishment of the Joint Operations Command was recommended in preparation for the OPCON transfer. The Joint Chiefs of Staff would transfer operational functions to the Joint Operations Command, while the Joint Chiefs would focus on strategic situation assessment, military strategy formulation, and force development.

It was also proposed that the Strategic Command should redefine its roles and missions as a unit ensuring strategic autonomy, and that the Drone Operations Command should be abolished due to inefficiencies arising from functional overlap with other military branches. In addition, the necessity of establishing a Space Command was highlighted, taking into account the space security environment and the evolving nature of future warfare.

For the force structure, the committee recommended a comprehensive review of requirements based on strategies for deterring North Korea's nuclear threat, the operation of manned-unmanned integrated combat systems, and unit reorganization plans. To deter North Korea's nuclear capabilities, it was emphasized that the adequacy of the three-axis system should be reassessed, and that the early deployment of key assets-such as high-powered, ultra-precision ballistic missiles, the Korean long-range surface-to-air missile system (L-SAM), military reconnaissance satellites, and ultra-small satellite systems-should be identified and incorporated. It was also recommended that the defense research and development (R&D) budget be increased by more than 10% annually to concentrate investments in advanced technology fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), defense semiconductors, and robotics.

Regarding the personnel structure, as the pool of conscripts continues to decline, the committee proposed maintaining military strength through the organic integration of professional soldiers and civilian personnel. For the utilization of civilian resources, it was recommended to begin by employing civilian employees and private companies in non-combat areas such as food service, transportation, facilities, and administration, and then gradually expand this to certain combat support roles.

To address the shortage of standing soldiers, the committee also advised improving the conscription system to allow for the selection of professional soldiers serving multi-year terms, in addition to short-term conscripts. Based on this, the subcommittee proposed a target defense workforce for the 2040s of over 500,000 personnel, including 350,000 standing soldiers and 150,000 civilian defense personnel such as civilian employees and professional reservists.

The subcommittee recommended that, at this stage, the military focus on developing a basic plan for military structure reform by prioritizing the three main areas of units, force, and personnel. The Ministry of National Defense stated, "We will do our utmost to incorporate these recommendations into the basic defense reform plan currently being developed, in order to build a smart, strong military based on AI and advanced science and technology."