Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has informed US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Seoul's initiative to reclaim its wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington is a strategic move aimed at strengthening bilateral relations.
According to Anadolu Agency, President Lee made these remarks during a meeting with Hegseth in Seoul, as reported by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung in a written statement.
"The early regaining of wartime operational control within my term would serve as an important opportunity to further deepen and develop the alliance between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the US," noted President Lee, emphasizing that a stronger Korean military could alleviate some of the US defense responsibilities in the Indo-Pacific region.
The South Korean government, under President Lee, aims to regain wartime OPCON from the US within the next five years, with the current term ending in 2030. South Korea, hosting approximately 28,500 American troops, has had peacetime operational control since 1994, while the US retains wartime control under the US-led Combined Forces Command.
During the Korean War, South Korea transferred operational control of its forces to the US-led UN Command, which later shifted to the allies' Combined Forces Command in 1978. President Lee also expressed gratitude to former US President Donald Trump for permitting South Korea to construct nuclear-powered submarines, a move expected to enhance military capabilities and strengthen the alliance.
Kang reported that Hegseth commended South Korea's commitment to increasing defense spending and improving capabilities, including the development of conventionally-armed nuclear submarines. Hegseth assured South Korea of Washington's support in implementing Trump's pledge to allow submarine construction in a US shipyard.
This approval followed a meeting between Lee and Trump in Gyeongju, where Lee requested access to nuclear fuel for the submarines. Trump confirmed the approval via social media, announcing the construction at a Philadelphia shipyard operated by Hanwha Ocean.
Meanwhile, South Korea's national intelligence agency (NIS) reported signs that North Korea was preparing for a potential meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea. However, the meeting did not occur.
The NIS also highlighted North Korea's deployment of around 5,000 construction troops to Russia since September, likely for infrastructure reconstruction, and the stationing of 10,000 soldiers near the Russia-Ukraine border for surveillance, with 1,000 military engineers assisting in landmine clearance.