Former U.S. acting ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun warned, in remarks reported by The Korea Herald, that regaining wartime operational control (OPCON) could weaken the alliance structure as Seoul and Washington pursue a transition.
Yun spoke at a Nov. 10 forum hosted by the Korea-U.S. Parliamentarians’ Union. Yonhap News Agency separately reported that he characterized the transfer as a political decision for South Korea and a technical matter for the United States.
An official Korea.net account said President Lee Jae Myung has called for the handover during his term. Yonhap reported that the term ends in 2030. The formal process has no fixed transfer date: South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense says the allies agreed in 2014 to base the change on conditions they assess together.
The ministry’s framework examines South Korea’s capacity to lead combined defense, the allies’ readiness for North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and whether the security environment can support a stable changeover. The 2025 Security Consultative Meeting communiqué says both sides must meet the requirements in their mutually approved plan. It also says the transition should strengthen South Korean capabilities, alliance capabilities and the combined defense posture.
The ministry’s 2022 white paper says South Korea regained peacetime OPCON on Dec. 1, 1994. It also records the allies’ 2018 agreement to retain the Combined Forces Command after the wartime transfer, with a South Korean four-star officer in command. EconoTimes previously covered the allies’ agreed wartime command requirements.
Yonhap reported in October that Seoul officials considered the requirements for the full operational capability stage met, while the U.S. maintained they had not been fulfilled. At the forum, opposition lawmaker Kim Gunn questioned setting a deadline amid changing security conditions, while Sejong Institute President Kim Jung-sup argued against further delay, The Korea Herald reported.
The allies’ next stated target is to pursue full operational capability certification for the Future Combined Forces Command headquarters in 2026, according to the 2025 communiqué.
