The Democratic Party emphasized today (October 17) regarding U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson mentioning changes in conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), "There is no change in our basic stance that we must quickly fulfill the conditions and transition."

Asked by reporters at the National Assembly that day about the party's stance on Gen. Brunson's "OPCON remarks," Floor Spokesperson Kim Sung-hoi said, "We will cooperate with the Ministry of National Defense and make every effort to ensure that the (transition) conditions are properly met."

Earlier, in a keynote speech at a seminar hosted by the U.S. think tank Gold Institute for International Strategy in Washington, D.C., on October 14 local time, Gen. Brunson said regarding the OPCON transfer, "Because the conditions have changed, because we've changed our plan, we have new standards which we have to uphold."

The comments drew interpretations that the U.S. has effectively put the brakes on the Lee Jae-myung administration's drive to complete the OPCON transfer within its term (by 2030) as a key state agenda.

In this regard, Representative Kim Byung-joo of the Democratic Party, who serves as the special presidential adviser on national defense policy, said on MBC Radio the previous day regarding Gen. Brunson's remarks, "There is an intention to delay the OPCON (transfer), and there is also an intention to export U.S. weapons."

He pointed out, "If they say South Korean forces lack such capabilities and tell us to acquire them, we have to import (weapons) from the United States," adding, "While concealing such intentions, (the U.S.) keeps talking about tightening the (OPCON transfer) conditions, but this time Brunson seems to have gone too far."

Meanwhile, Democratic Party Representative Jin Sung-joon, chairman of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, also took issue on Facebook with the territorial perception held by Gen. Brunson, who concurrently serves as commander of the United Nations Command.

Rep. Jin noted, "At the seminar on October 14, Gen. Brunson said, 'From the perspective of the United Nations Command, the Republic of Korea starts at the southern wire,'" pointing out, "This is a statement that the Republic of Korea's territory begins at the southern limit line of the Demilitarized Zone."

He went on to emphasize, "This contradicts our Constitution, which defines the territory of the Republic of Korea as the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands," adding, "We must correct the perception of the UN commander, who denies the territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Korea."

(Photo: Yonhap News)