[Anchor]

General Xavier Brunson, commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK), stated that the conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) have changed. Considering the level of nuclear and missile development recently demonstrated by North Korea, this is interpreted to mean that the United States will not hand over OPCON based merely on previously agreed standards. In response, a spokesperson for South Korea's Ministry of National Defense warned that if the goalposts keep being moved, OPCON transfer will be permanently impossible.

Reporter Choi Jae-yeong has the story.

[Reporter]

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

He stated that a "new standard" that must be observed has emerged.

South Korea and the United States agreed in 2014 on a "conditions-based" OPCON transfer, and the process is currently at the stage of validating the operational capabilities of the future Combined Forces Command, which will be led by a South Korean four-star general.

While there are some differences between Seoul and Washington, Commander Brunson abruptly brought up "new standards following changed conditions" in public, even as the target timeline for OPCON transfer is set for 2028. He cited North Korea's nuclear and missile development, among other factors, as the reason.

In effect, he indicated that as the security environment on the Korean Peninsula has changed, assessments regarding the OPCON transfer could also shift.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul responded at the National Assembly as follows:

[Son Sol / Lawmaker, Progressive Party (Yesterday) : "Shouldn't we strongly protest to the U.S. side?"]

[Kang Shin-chul / Minister of National Defense (Yesterday) : "We have already conveyed our position on that matter, and we also share concerns about the overall impact it could have and are making our points 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 expressed strong displeasure under the premise of a "personal opinion of the spokesperson," rather than an official statement.

[Jeong Bit-na / Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson (Yesterday) : "If they keep moving the goalposts, I believe OPCON transfer will never be possible."]

A government official conveyed the internal sentiment to SBS, stating, "There is a shared perception that making public remarks day after day that seem to deny the agreement is inappropriate."

For now, the government plans to continue political consultations with the U.S. side on the OPCON transfer through the bilateral Security Consultative Meeting scheduled for late this year and multilateral summit meetings.

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