Key facts
- South Korea and the U.S. will hold their senior-level regular defense talks in Busan this week.
- The talks will be led by Kim Hong-cheol, deputy defense minister for policy, and George Lemeur, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of war for East Asia.
- Discussions are expected to cover Seoul's retaking of wartime operational control (OPCON), joint defense posture, and shipbuilding cooperation.
- The possibility of Seoul's military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz is expected to be discussed.
- South Korea sent a security assessment team to the UAE last week regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran has warned of "serious consequences" if military forces are dispatched to the area.
South Korea and the United States are set to hold their senior-level regular defense talks this week in Busan, amid Seoul's consideration of a military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. The biannual Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will take place from Wednesday to Friday, according to the defense ministry.
Kim Hong-cheol, South Korea's deputy defense minister for policy, and George Lemeur, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of war for East Asia, will lead the discussions, which are expected to cover a range of security issues including Seoul's retaking of wartime operational control (OPCON), joint defense posture, and shipbuilding cooperation. The potential deployment of South Korean forces to secure the crucial waterway, a move Washington has been pressuring Seoul to join, is also anticipated to be a key topic.
South Korea recently dispatched a team to the United Arab Emirates to assess the security situation near the Strait of Hormuz, fueling speculation about a potential deployment, though the government has stated no decision has been made. Iran has publicly cautioned against such a move, warning of "serious consequences."
The talks will also address South Korea's goal of regaining OPCON from Washington, a transfer President Lee Jae Myung aims to complete before his term ends in 2030, potentially as early as next year. The KIDD, established in 2011, is a comprehensive defense meeting between the two allies, with this week's session being the second of the year.