S. Korea, U.S. agree to hold key defense talks after midterm elections

South Korea and the United States are in discussions to postpone their high-level Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), a key bilateral defense dialogue, due to the upcoming U.S. midterm elections on November 3. The annual talks are typically held in early November and Washington is slated to host this year's meeting.

The apparent delay comes amid differing views between Seoul and Washington regarding the timing of the U.S. handover of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea. Seoul is seeking to regain OPCON before the current administration's term ends in 2030, or potentially as early as next year, while Washington has voiced concerns about accelerating the transition.

Sources indicated that the U.S. side requested the rescheduling, citing the midterm elections and other factors, and that both allies are aligned on delaying the schedule. The SCM serves as a platform for top defense officials to coordinate on alliance and security matters, including defense strategy and joint military readiness, particularly concerning North Korea.

Reports suggest the SCM may be pushed back to December. This postponement occurs as Seoul faces speculation that it may not achieve its goal of advancing the OPCON transition, specifically completing the second phase of a three-stage "conditions-based" transition plan (COTP) to verify South Korean forces' leadership capabilities. The allies are currently assessing the "full operational capability" (FOC) after validating the "initial operational capability" (IOC).

South Korea aims to finalize FOC certification and announce a target year for OPCON transition at the SCM, followed by an assessment of "full mission capability" (FMC). However, reports indicate Washington believes Seoul is not yet ready for FOC certification, impacting Seoul's push for acceleration. The defense ministry stated that joint evaluations for this year are complete and preparations for FOC certification are underway.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul acknowledged that "different perspectives" exist regarding the OPCON transition, emphasizing the importance of trust and stating there are no major disagreements. He also indicated that discussions are ongoing to arrange a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the upcoming ADMM Plus defense ministers' meeting.