Former USFK commander: “Meeting the conditions is important for OPCON transfer”

[Financial News] Robert Abrams, who served as commander of U.S. Forces Korea from November 2018 to July 2021, said of the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), “It is important to meet the conditions, and pursuing the transfer by setting a timeline is dangerous.”
On the 5th (local time), former USFK commander Abrams appeared on a podcast by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a U.S. think tank, and explained, “The conditions-based plan for OPCON transfer was designed to strengthen combined defense and deterrence against North Korea.”
He went on to argue, “If the timing of the transfer is arbitrarily set without securing key military capabilities, gaps will emerge in the South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, and deterrence and defense capabilities against North Korea could be weakened.”
He also said, “I am certain that the South Korean military still has many operational shortcomings,” and pointed out, “It is not true that the South Korean government assessed in 2020 that 92% of the conditions for OPCON transfer had been met.”
He also expressed concern, saying, “If North Korea receives a signal that there could be changes to the future deployment of U.S. Forces Korea troops, there is a considerable possibility that it could misunderstand or misjudge the situation.”
[email protected] Hong Chae-wan Reporter