USFK commander says changed security environment requires new criteria; Seoul insists existing agreement is sufficient
South Korea and the United States are showing a growing divergence in their positions on the transfer of wartime operational control.
USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said Wednesday (local time), citing North Korea's missile threat, that the transfer of operational control now requires new criteria given changes in the security environment.
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense pushed back, reaffirming that the transfer should proceed in accordance with existing agreements. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said there would be "absolutely no problem" with completing the transfer now.
So what exactly are the conditions the two allies agreed to for the transfer?
In 2015, South Korea and the United States agreed to transfer operational control once three conditions were met: the South Korean military's ability to lead combined defense operations; the alliance's capability to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats; and a security environment on and around the Korean Peninsula conducive to a stable transfer.
Seoul plans to complete the second-stage Full Operational Capability verification this year and finish the transfer within President Lee Jae Myung's term in office.
Brunson, however, has argued that North Korea's military threat has changed significantly since 2015 and that the transfer process must reflect those developments — particularly the combat experience North Korean troops have gained through their deployment to Russia and the improvements Pyongyang has made to its weapons systems. Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na offered a personal view in response, saying, "If the goalposts keep moving, I think the transfer of operational control can never be completed."
Meanwhile, some experts have called for first clarifying exactly what new criteria the United States is demanding before any further steps are taken.
With the two allies at odds, the question remains whether the transfer can proceed on Seoul's timeline.
basket@heraldcorp.com
