Defense ministry says Kang's 'U.S. trust' remarks meant to counter lawmaker's OPCON transfer doubts

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SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's recent remarks on U.S. trust were intended to counter a lawmaker's doubts over Seoul's push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington, not to question the ally's credibility, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

Kang drew media attention Monday when he pushed back against an opposition lawmaker skeptical of Seoul's push for the OPCON transition, citing an uncertain global security landscape, where even a military superpower, like the United States, faces challenges in the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Responding to Rep. Sung Il-jong of the main opposition People Power Party, Kang said, "Then if a war breaks out with North Korea, can we really trust the U.S. military as you described?"

"Because that is not the case, the OPCON transition must take place on a foundation of guaranteed trust," Kang said, advocating the OPCON road map to build a combined forces system, led by a South Korean general, with the U.S. military serving in a supporting role.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul (L) speaks during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Oct. 26, 2026. (Yonhap)

However, several domestic media outlets reported the remarks Tuesday as suggesting the minister raised doubts over the credibility of the ally.

"First, let me suggest watching the full footage (of the audit)," ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said in a press briefing. "The minister was posing a counter-question in response to the lawmaker's question implying that the U.S. is struggling in the U.S.-Iran conflict."

"The minister's point was that if we follow the lawmaker's logic, it would mean we could not trust the U.S. military if war broke out with North Korea and the minister was saying that it was simply not true," Chung said.

Chung pointed to Kang's subsequent comments during the audit that repeatedly underscored trust in the alliance with Washington.

"If you look at the full context, the minister's intention becomes very clear ... which makes it unthinkable that he would make remarks to the contrary," she added.

elly@yna.co.kr (END)

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Defense ministry says Kang's 'U.S. trust' remarks meant to counter lawmaker's OPCON transfer doubts

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首尔，10 月 27 日（韩联社）——韩国国防部周二表示，国防部长姜信哲最近关于美国信任的言论旨在反驳一位议员对首尔从华盛顿手中夺回战时作战控制权（OPCON）的质疑，而不是质疑盟友的信誉。

周一，康京和反驳了一位对首尔推动作战指挥权移交持怀疑态度的反对派议员，并指出全球安全形势不明朗，即使是像美国这样的军事超级大国，在与伊朗的持续冲突中也面临着挑战，这引起了媒体的关注。

针对主要反对党国民力量党议员成日钟的提问，康表示：“那么，如果与朝鲜爆发战争，我们真的能像你描述的那样信任美国军队吗？”

“因为情况并非如此，所以作战指挥权的过渡必须建立在有保障的信任基础上，”康说，他提倡制定作战指挥权路线图，建立一个由韩国将军领导、美军担任支援角色的联合部队体系。

2026年10月26日，韩国国防部长姜信哲（左）在首尔西部国会大厦出席国会审计会议并发表讲话。（韩联社）

然而，周二多家国内媒体报道称，这位部长发表的言论暗示他对盟友的信誉提出了质疑。

“首先，我建议大家观看完整的审计录像，”外交部发言人钟彬那在记者会上说。“部长是在回应议员的提问时提出了反问，该议员的提问暗示美国在美伊冲突中处境艰难。”

郑说：“部长的观点是，如果我们按照这位议员的逻辑来理解，那就意味着一旦与朝鲜爆发战争，我们就不能信任美国军队，而部长则表示这根本不是事实。”

钟指出，康在审计期间的后续评论反复强调了对美华盛顿联盟的信任。

“如果结合上下文来看，部长的意图就非常明确了……因此，他不可能发表相反的言论，”她补充道。

elly@yna.co.kr（完）

韩国国防部长：韩国和美国正密切协调，确定作战指挥权移交的目标年份

国防部长表示，韩国对驻韩美军作战指挥官的言论表示关切。

国防部称康健仁关于“信任美国”的言论意在反驳议员对作战指挥权移交的质疑。