[Anchor]

General Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, has publicly stated that "conditions for the wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer have changed" and that "new standards have emerged." His remarks indicate that the transition conditions should be reexamined in light of North Korea's nuclear and missile development. South Korea's Defense Ministry spokesperson, noting it was a personal opinion, voiced strong frustration, stating that if the "goalposts" keep being moved, the OPCON transfer will never be possible.

Choi Jae-yeong reports.

[Reporter]

At a forum held in Washington, USFK Commander Xavier Brunson stated that the "conditions" for the wartime OPCON transfer have clearly changed.

He asserted that "new standards" have emerged that must be upheld.

South Korea and the United States agreed in 2014 on a "conditions-based" OPCON transfer, and the process has now entered the phase of verifying the operational capabilities of the future Combined Forces Command, which is to be led by a South Korean four-star general.

Despite some differences between Seoul and Washington, South Korea has set 2028 as the target year for the transfer. Yet Commander Brunson abruptly brought up "new standards based on changed conditions" in public, citing North Korea's nuclear and missile development.

This effectively suggested that because the security environment on the Korean Peninsula has changed, the assessment of the OPCON transfer could also shift.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul responded at the National Assembly today, October 15:

[Son Sol / Lawmaker, Progressive Party: "Shouldn't we be strongly protesting to the U.S. side?"]

[Kang Shin-chul / Minister of National Defense: "We have already conveyed our position on that matter. We also share concerns about the broader impact it could have and are communicating our stance clearly."]

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

Instead of an official ministry statement, the Ministry of National Defense expressed strong displeasure under the premise of the "spokesperson's personal view."

[Chung Bit-na / Defense Ministry Spokesperson: "I believe that if they keep moving the goalposts, the OPCON transfer will never be possible."]

A South Korean government official conveyed the sentiment within the administration to SBS, saying, "There is a perception that making public remarks day after day that appear to deny the bilateral agreement is inappropriate."

For now, the South Korean government plans to continue political consultations with the U.S. on the OPCON transfer through the bilateral Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) scheduled for the end of the year and upcoming multilateral summits.

Video by Kim Hyun-sang | Video Editing by Lee Seung-yeol | Graphics by Byun Da-young