Story thread · 3 reports / 2 sources

New defense chief stresses trust in push for OPCON transfer

koreatimes.co.kr · 3h · first reportShare

New Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Tuesday that he would push ahead with the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) based on trust between Korea and the United States, emphasizing that the process should strengthen their alliance and combined defense posture. “OPCON transfer will move in a direction that strengthens the Korea-U.S. alliance,” Kang told reporters at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul shortly after officially beginning his duties. He noted that successive Korean administrations and the two allies have worked toward the transfer for years, while acknowledging that the process cannot be driven by Seoul alone. Because an alliance involves two sides, Kang said, the process may not always proceed exactly as one side wants, making mutual trust particularly important. “In some ways, I believe trust is even more important than the conditions,” he said, pledging to pursue the transfer “without wavering” in a way that preserves trust. Kang also rejected the no