Korea, US agree on temporary combined forces structure after OPCON transfer

Korea and the United States agreed on a provisional structure for the Combined Forces Command after wartime OPCON transfer. The structure will be finalized during the Full Mission Capability assessment. The command will retain its official English name, Combined Forces Command, and will be established and maintained after the transfer.

The defense ministry aims to complete Full Operational Capability verification at this year’s Security Consultative Meeting and identify a target year for the OPCON transfer.

The Full Mission Capability assessment and verification will follow the Full Operational Capability stage.

Kim Seong-min, deputy commander of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, described the agreed post-transition structure as a draft.

The post-transition command is sometimes called the future CFC in Korean to distinguish it from the current structure.

Published Oct 7, 2026 4:39 pm KST

Updated Oct 7, 2026 6:00 pm KST

Gen. Xavier Brunson, left, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, talks with Kim Seong-min, deputy commander of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, during a ceremony marking the handover from outgoing Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back to his successor, Kang Shin-chul, at the defense ministry in Yongsan District, Seoul, Sept. 22. Yonhap

Korea and the United States have agreed on a provisional structure for the Combined Forces Command (CFC) after the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), the CFC's deputy commander said Wednesday.

Kim Seong-min, deputy commander of the Korea-U.S. CFC, told a parliamentary audit that the structure would be finalized during the Full Mission Capability (FMC) assessment, a stage in the process of transferring wartime OPCON from the U.S. to Korea.

“We have agreed on a provisional structure for the post-transition CFC, and it will be finalized during the FMC assessment,” Kim said.

The command will retain its official English name, Combined Forces Command. In Korean, it is sometimes referred to as the “future CFC” to distinguish the post-transition structure from the current one.

Kim was responding to a question posed by Rep. Han Ki-ho of the main opposition People Power Party, who asked whether the U.S. had agreed to Korea’s proposed structure.

“That is not the case,” Kim said, citing the provisional agreement. Asked whether the structure remained unconfirmed, he acknowledged that it was “a draft.”

The defense ministry aims to complete Full Operational Capability (FOC) verification at this year’s Security Consultative Meeting and identify a target year for the transfer to recommend. The FMC assessment and verification would follow the FOC stage.

Kim also rejected Han’s suggestion that remarks by the CFC commander implied the command could be dissolved after the transfer.

“That is not the case,” he said. “Under the existing agreement between Korea and the United States, the post-transition CFC will be established and maintained after the transfer of wartime OPCON.”

韩国和美国就战时作战指挥权移交后联合部队司令部的临时架构达成一致。该架构将在全面任务能力评估期间最终确定。司令部将保留其英文正式名称“联合部队司令部”（Combined Forces Command），并在移交后继续设立和运作。

国防部计划在今年的安全磋商会议上完成全面作战能力验证，并确定作战控制权移交的目标年份。

全面任务能力评估和验证将在全面作战能力阶段之后进行。

韩国-美国联合部队司令部副司令金成民将商定的过渡后架构描述为草案。

过渡后的指挥部有时在韩语中被称为未来的CFC，以区别于当前的结构。

发布于2026年10月7日下午4:39（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月7日韩国时间下午6:00

9月22日，在首尔龙山区国防部举行的国防部长交接仪式上，驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森将军（左）与韩美联合司令部副司令金成民交谈。此次交接仪式标志着即将卸任的国防部长安圭渤正式向其继任者姜新哲移交权力。（韩联社）

韩国和美国已就战时作战指挥权（OPCON）移交后联合部队司令部（CFC）的临时架构达成一致，联合部队司令部副司令周三表示。

韩美联合部队司令部副司令金成民在国会审计中表示，该结构将在全面任务能力（FMC）评估期间最终确定，这是战时作战指挥权从美国移交给韩国过程中的一个阶段。

金表示：“我们已经就过渡后 CFC 的临时结构达成一致，并将在 FMC 评估期间最终确定。”

该司令部将保留其官方英文名称“联合部队司令部”（Combined Forces Command）。在韩语中，有时称其为“未来联合部队司令部”（future CFC），以区别于目前的司令部架构。

金正恩是在回应主要反对党国民力量党议员韩基浩提出的问题，韩基浩询问美国是否同意韩国提出的结构方案。

金正恩表示，“情况并非如此”，并援引了临时协议。当被问及该架构是否仍未最终确定时，他承认这只是“一份草案”。

国防部计划在今年的安全磋商会议上完成全面作战能力（FOC）验证，并确定移交目标年份以提出建议。未来军事能力（FMC）评估和验证将在FOC阶段之后进行。

金也驳斥了韩的说法，即CFC指挥官的言论暗示该指挥部可能会在移交后解散。

“情况并非如此，”他说。“根据韩美之间现有的协议，战时作战指挥权移交后，过渡时期的联合部队司令部将会建立并维持下去。”