U.S. Department of War pours cold water on President Lee’s call for a “swift return”: “Agreed conditions must be met”

[Financial News] The U.S. government reaffirmed its existing position on calls for the early return of South Korea’s wartime operational control (OPCON), saying that conditions previously agreed upon by both sides must be met first.
The U.S. public broadcaster Voice of America (VOA) reported this on the 20th, citing the U.S. Department of War (Defense). In a written inquiry submitted to the Department of War on the 19th, VOA asked for its position on President Lee Jae-myung’s remarks calling for the early return of OPCON and on OPCON-related remarks by General Xavier T. Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea.
A Department of War official responded to the inquiry, saying, “The transfer of OPCON remains a process based on conditions mutually agreed upon by the United States and South Korea.” The official added, “Both countries continue to agree that the necessary conditions should be met before the transfer takes place,” and said, “We will not prejudge the decisions or outcomes of this bilateral process.”
In a 2014 agreement, South Korea and the United States defined three conditions for the transfer of OPCON: the military capabilities needed to lead combined defense; the alliance’s comprehensive capabilities to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats; and a security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in the region conducive to a stable transfer of OPCON. At a seminar in Washington, D.C., on the 14th (local time), General Brunson cited North Korea’s recent missile launches and said, “The conditions have changed and changed our plans, so there are new standards we need to meet (for the transfer of OPCON).”
On the 19th, at Chunchugwan in Cheong Wa Dae, President Lee Jae-myung addressed the changes in conditions mentioned by General Brunson, saying, “OPCON must be returned swiftly. Discussions between South Korea and the United States are also basically moving in the direction of getting it back.” VOA reported on the 20th that the Department of War did not say what specific changes General Brunson had referred to, or whether there had actually been any changes to the existing OPCON transfer conditions or assessment criteria.
[email protected] Park Jong-won Reporter