Pentagon reaffirms conditions-based OPCON transition to S. Korea amid debate over timing

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) -- The Pentagon reaffirmed Tuesday that the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea remains a conditions-based process agreed upon by Washington and Seoul, stressing that the necessary requirements must be met before any transition takes place.

"The transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) remains a conditions-based process mutually agreed upon by the United States and the Republic of Korea," a Pentagon official told Yonhap News Agency in response to an inquiry.

"Both nations remain committed to ensuring that the necessary conditions are met before any transition occurs. We will not prejudge decisions or outcomes of this bilateral process," the official said.

The remarks came after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reiterated Monday that Seoul should retake wartime OPCON at an early date.

"Speaking frankly, OPCON must be returned at an early date. (We) are sufficiently capable of doing so, and (related) talks between South Korea and the U.S. are basically going well in that direction," Lee said during a meeting with reporters marking his 500th day in office.

The president's remarks came amid a perceived gap between Seoul and Washington over the timing of the OPCON transition, with the Lee administration seeking to retake it before its term ends in 2030, or even earlier.

At an event in Washington last week, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said that "conditions have changed," citing North Korea's recent missile launches, and indicated that such changes called for new standards for the OPCON transfer.

Seoul's defense ministry spokesperson later said the goal of the transfer might never be achieved if the goalposts kept moving.

South Korea handed over OPCON to the U.S.-led U.N. Command during the 1950-53 Korean War. It was then transferred to the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command when the command was launched in 1978. Seoul retook peacetime OPCON in 1994, but wartime OPCON remains in U.S. hands.

This undated file photo provided by the Pentagon shows ▲the Pentagon building in ▲Arlington, Virginia. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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(2nd LD) Lee says wartime operational control must be retaken at early date

Pentagon reaffirms conditions-based OPCON transition to S. Korea amid debate over timing

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华盛顿，10 月 20 日（韩联社）——五角大楼周二重申，将战时作战控制权（OPCON）移交给韩国仍然是华盛顿和首尔商定的一个有条件的过程，并强调在进行任何过渡之前，必须满足必要的条件。

五角大楼一名官员在回应韩联社的询问时表示：“战时作战指挥权（OPCON）的交接仍然是美国和韩国双方共同商定的一个基于条件的过程。”

“两国仍致力于确保在过渡发生前满足必要条件。我们不会预先判断这一双边进程的决定或结果，”这位官员表示。

此前，韩国总统李在明周一重申，首尔应该尽早重新夺回战时作战控制权。

李明博在就职500天之际与记者会面时表示：“坦率地说，作战控制权必须尽早归还。（我们）完全有能力做到这一点，而且韩美之间的（相关）谈判基本上朝着这个方向进展顺利。”

总统发表上述言论之际，首尔和华盛顿之间似乎在作战指挥权交接时间问题上存在分歧，李明博政府希望在 2030 年任期结束前甚至更早重新夺回作战指挥权。

上周在华盛顿举行的一次活动中，驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森将军表示，“情况已经发生了变化”，他以朝鲜最近的导弹发射为例，并指出这种变化需要新的作战指挥权移交标准。

首尔国防部发言人随后表示，如果目标不断变化，那么此次移交的目标可能永远无法实现。

在1950-53年的朝鲜战争期间，韩国将作战指挥权移交给了以美国为首的联合国军司令部。1978年，随着韩美联合司令部的成立，作战指挥权又移交给了该司令部。首尔于1994年重新获得了和平时期的作战指挥权，但战时作战指挥权仍然掌握在美国手中。

这张由五角大楼提供的未注明日期的资料照片显示的是位于弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿的五角大楼。（照片不得出售）（韩联社）

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美国将作战指挥权移交视为提升韩国作战能力的契机：科尔比

（第二段）李说，战时作战控制权必须尽早夺回。

五角大楼重申将作战指挥权移交给韩国，并表示将根据具体情况做出决定，但双方仍在就移交时间进行辩论。