The acknowledgment came following a high-level meeting in Seoul, as both nations work to modernize their security partnership. Currently, the United States holds the authority to command allied troops in the event of a war on the Korean Peninsula, but South Korea has long sought to gain full operational control over its own military forces during wartime.
The discussions take place against a backdrop of renewed diplomatic focus from Seoul. On Tuesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged to end the "vicious cycle of unnecessary military tensions" with Pyongyang, with the stated goal of achieving peaceful coexistence and mutual growth.
Following the high-level talks, South Korea's Ministry of Defense issued a statement confirming that the two sides had reviewed their overall military cooperation with an eye toward developing a "reciprocal, forward-looking, and modernized" alliance. The ministry also stated that both nations had agreed to collaborate on follow-up measures stemming from the inaugural summit between their leaders in August, though it did not provide specific details.
While the official joint statement did not directly mention the sensitive issue of operational control, a South Korean official later confirmed an earlier report by the Yonhap news agency. The official verified that both parties shared the view during the meeting that substantial progress had been made toward fulfilling the conditions for the OPCON transfer.
This move is part of a broader enhancement of the security relationship. President Lee Jae Myung previously announced that he and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed during their summit to expand cooperation into high-tech defense sectors, signaling a deepening of the alliance beyond traditional command structures.
The gradual transfer of wartime command is a long-planned, conditions-based process, designed to ensure that the South Korean military has the full capability to lead the combined defense of the nation before the final handover is complete. The progress noted this week marks a significant milestone on that path.
