Will US Forces in Japan Oversee the Korean Peninsula When Operational Control is Transferred?..US House Blocks Reduction of US Forces in Korea

[Financial News] As various side effects are expected when the Lee Jae-myung government reclaims wartime operational control of the Korean Peninsula, it is turning to a cautious stance. Meanwhile, concerns have emerged that if the Korean military reclaims operational control on the Korean Peninsula, the current US Forces Korea Commander, who also serves as the United Nations Commander, might be replaced by the US Forces Japan Commander.
On the 16th, at the Unification Policy Forum held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, hosted by the Korea Institute for National Unification, this claim was made. According to the current US-Korea agreement, after the transfer of operational control, the Korean military will take on the role of Future Combined Forces Commander (4-star), and the US military will serve as the Deputy Commander (4-star) of the Future Combined Forces and as the US representative in the Permanent Military Committee (PMC), concurrently holding the position of UN Commander. In this case, both the Combined Forces Commander and Deputy Commander being 4-star generals, there could be issues with the US military receiving orders from the Korean military.
Cho Bi-yeon, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute, expressed concern that "the Trump administration, which is pushing for a 20% reduction in 4-star generals, may use the transfer of operational control as an opportunity to demote the US Forces Korea Commander to a 3-star and have a US 4-star general concurrently serve as the US Forces Japan Commander and UN Commander."
This implies that the US Forces Japan will become a hub for US forces in the Indo-Pacific region, and as it takes priority in budget and personnel allocation, a reduction in US Forces Korea could follow, predicted Cho, the research fellow.
However, it is not expected that the transfer of operational control between the US and Korea will be completed in a short period. On the 15th (local time), the US House Armed Services Committee passed an amendment to the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that maintains US Forces Korea at the current level. The US House has blocked discussions on the reduction of US Forces Korea by the Donald Trump administration. 
Additionally, the US Congress is demanding a guarantee from the US Secretary of Defense as a precondition for pursuing the transfer of operational control on the Korean Peninsula. The Senate's 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the Senate Armed Services Committee on the 11th, includes new provisions that "prohibit such actions until the Secretary of Defense certifies to Congress that the reduction of the US military posture on the Korean Peninsula or the transfer of operational control to the Combined Forces is in the national interest." It also includes instructions for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Indo-Pacific Commander, and the US Forces Korea Commander to conduct independent assessments of the risks associated with the reduction of US Forces Korea or the transfer of operational control. Our government is also cautious about the early transfer of operational control. Ahn Kyu-baek, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, stated at his confirmation hearing on the 15th that the transfer of operational control will be completed within the term of the Lee Jae-myung government, but the presidential office drew a line, saying it was only Ahn's personal opinion. 
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter