"New Standards for OPCON Transfer" ... "If Goalposts Keep Moving, It Can Never Happen"

[Anchor]

General Xavier Brunson, commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK), has publicly stated that "the conditions for the wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer have changed," adding that "new standards have emerged." His remarks suggest that the conditions should be reexamined in light of North Korea's nuclear and missile development. Describing it as a personal view, a spokesperson for South Korea's Ministry of National Defense expressed strong discontent, saying that if the "goalposts" keep being moved, the OPCON transfer will never take place.

Reporter Choi Jae-yeong reports.

[Reporter]

At a forum held in Washington, D.C., USFK Commander Brunson said that the "conditions" for the wartime operational control transfer have definitely changed.

He stated that "new standards" to be met have emerged.

South Korea and the United States agreed in 2014 on a "conditions-based" OPCON transfer, and are currently in the stage of verifying the mission capabilities of the Future Combined Forces Command, which will be led by a South Korean four-star general.

Although there are some differences between the two allies, the target timeline for the OPCON transfer had been set for 2028, making Commander Brunson's sudden public mention of "new standards following changed conditions" unexpected. Commander Brunson cited North Korea's nuclear and missile development as reasons.

This effectively signaled that assessments regarding the OPCON transfer could also change as the security situation on the Korean Peninsula has shifted.

Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul responded at the National Assembly today (October 15) as follows.

[Sohn Sol / Progressive Party Lawmaker: Shouldn't we lodge a strong protest with the U.S. side?]

[Kang Shin-chul / Minister of National Defense: We have already conveyed our position on that matter, and we share concerns about the overall impact it will have and are stating our position clearly.]

He also emphasized, "Even if the transfer were to take place right now, there would be no problem at all."

The Ministry of National Defense voiced strong frustration under the premise of a "spokesperson's personal view" rather than an official statement.

[Jung Bit-na / Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson: If the goalposts keep being moved, I believe the OPCON transfer can never take place.]

A government official conveyed the atmosphere within the government to SBS, saying, "There is a shared perception that making public statements day after day that appear to deny the agreement is inappropriate."

The government plans to continue political consultations with the U.S. side regarding the OPCON transfer through upcoming events, including the South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting scheduled for the end of the year and multilateral summits.

(Video by Kim Hyun-sang | Video Editing by Lee Seung-yeol | Design by Byun Da-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.