Key facts
- South Korea and the U.S. agreed to postpone their key bilateral security dialogue to early next year.
- The decision was made on October 28, 2026, following talks between defense ministers Kang Shin-chul and Pete Hegseth.
- The allies may push back their annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) amid friction over OPCON transfer.
- Another round of bilateral talks is scheduled for Washington next month.
South Korea and the United States have agreed to postpone their key bilateral security dialogue to early next year, Seoul's defense ministry said Wednesday. The decision came after bilateral talks between Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of a regional defense ministers' meeting in the Philippines. The announcement confirmed speculation that the allies may push back their annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) amid apparent friction over moving forward with the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul. The secretary and the minister also agreed to hold another round of bilateral talks in Washington next month.