Story perspectives

South Korea pushes OPCON transfer with Korean-led command

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 2:24 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

President Lee Jae-myung urged moving wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea.
Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said a Korean-led Combined Forces Command would strengthen the alliance.
The Democratic Party formed a task force to study reclaiming wartime OPCON.
The plan would appoint a South Korea general as Combined Forces Command (CFC) commander with a U.S. deputy.
Lee aims to complete the OPCON shift before his term ends in 2030.

History

Historical Context

In 1991 the United States and South Korea agreed to move wartime operational control of U.S. forces to a Korean-led Combined Forces Command, reducing direct U.S. command. The arrangement sits within a long-standing U.S. Forces Korea presence—USFK, created in 1957, fields about 24,234 active-duty personnel. President Lee Jae-myung’s 2024 proposal to appoint a Korean commander seeks to deepen that autonomy while keeping the alliance intact.

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Story summary

President Lee Jae-myung urged moving wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea.
Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said a Korean-led Combined Forces Command would strengthen the alliance.
The Democratic Party formed a task force to study reclaiming wartime OPCON.
The plan would appoint a South Korea general as Combined Forces Command (CFC) commander with a U.S. deputy.
Lee aims to complete the OPCON shift before his term ends in 2030.

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