Key facts
- South Korea seeks a 'top-down' approach with the U.S. for OPCON transfer breakthrough.
- The Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) has been postponed to early next year.
- Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will meet in December.
- Seoul wants to complete the OPCON transfer before President Lee Jae Myung's term ends in 2030.
- Washington is wary of a rushed handover driven by political considerations.
South Korea intends to pursue a "top-down" approach with the United States to achieve a breakthrough in the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), the defense ministry said Thursday. The allies announced Wednesday that the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), a key dialogue between their defense chiefs, has been postponed to early next year. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met in the Philippines on October 28, 2026, and plan to meet again in Washington in December. The ministry stated that Kang and Hegseth aim to share a clear understanding on key issues in December, leading to a final decision at the SCM early next year. Seoul wants to accelerate the OPCON transfer before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ends in 2030, while Washington is cautious about a rushed handover.