Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US hold talks on OPCON transfer, alliance

South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met in Cebu, the Philippines, on Wednesday to discuss wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer and other alliance issues. Seoul wants to set a target year for the handover at the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), while Washington says agreed conditions must be met first. The allies differ over whether South Korean forces have completed the full operational capability verification. They were also expected to discuss Seoul’s nuclear-powered submarine program.

The meeting was Kang and Hegseth’s first one-on-one discussion since Kang took office in September.

The allies’ three-phase, conditions-based OPCON transition plan is in its second stage, the full operational capability verification of South Korean forces.

U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said that “conditions have changed” and that there were “new standards” to uphold.

This year’s SCM, usually held in late October or early November, has been delayed to December, and the apparent differences over OPCON have fueled speculation it could be pushed to early next year.

South Korea launched the Jang Bogo N project in May to build at least three 8,000-ton nuclear-powered submarines by the late 2030s.

Published Oct 28, 2026 3:18 pm KST

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul, right, poses with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during their bilateral talks ahead of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus in Cebu, the Philippines, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States met in the Philippines on Wednesday for talks likely centered on narrowing differences over the timing of the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition from Washington to Seoul, among other alliance issues.

The talks between Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took place in Cebu, the venue for the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Plus, led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to Seoul's defense ministry.

It marked their first one-on-one meeting since Kang took office in September.

Further details of their meeting were expected to be released later in the day.

Wednesday's talks have drawn attention as Seoul seeks to regain wartime OPCON before the Lee Jae Myung administration's five-year term ends in 2030. It is pushing to announce a target year for the OPCON transfer at the upcoming high-level defense dialogue, the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM).

Washington, however, has expressed reservations about rushing the process for political reasons, emphasizing the conditions agreed upon by the allies must be fully met. Chief among them is for Seoul to possess core capabilities to lead combined forces once the handover occurs.

The allies are currently in the process of verifying the "full operational capability" (FOC) of South Korean forces, the second stage of a three-phase, "conditions-based" OPCON transition plan.

While Seoul officials say those requirements have been met, the U.S. maintains that they have yet to be fulfilled, with U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson recently stating that "conditions have changed" and that there were "new standards" to uphold.

Speaking to reporters before his departure Tuesday, Kang said he would closely consult with his U.S. counterpart on the OPCON transfer and other alliance issues, including addressing the gap over the FOC verification if needed.

The apparent divide over the OPCON transition has fueled speculation that the next SCM talks could be pushed back to early next year.

This year's SCM, which usually takes place in late October or early November, has already been delayed to December.

At Wednesday's talks, Kang and Hegseth were also expected to discuss other alliance issues, including Seoul's push to build nuclear-powered submarine program backed by Washington.

South Korea launched the Jang Bogo N project in May to build at least three such 8,000-ton vessels by the late 2030s, after the Donald Trump administration gave the green light for its push following a summit between their leaders in October last year.

While in the Philippines, Kang was also set to hold a series of bilateral talks with his counterparts of other participating countries, the defense ministry said earlier.

Kang is scheduled to speak at the ADMM Plus plenary Thursday, during which he plans to address the illegitimate nature of North Korea's recent land mine explosion near the inter-Korean border and Seoul's peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.

韩国国防部长康信哲和美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯周三在菲律宾宿务会晤，讨论战时作战指挥权移交及其他盟国问题。首尔希望在安全磋商会议上确定移交的具体年份，而华盛顿则表示必须首先满足双方商定的条件。双方在韩国军队是否已完成全面作战能力验证的问题上存在分歧。预计双方还将讨论韩国的核动力潜艇项目。

这是康健仁自9月上任以来与赫格塞斯的首次单独会晤。

盟军分三个阶段、基于条件的作战指挥权过渡计划目前处于第二阶段，即对韩国军队进行全面作战能力验证。

驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森将军表示，“情况已经改变”，需要遵守“新的标准”。

今年的SCM通常在10月下旬或11月初举行，但已推迟到12月，而OPCON方面明显的分歧引发了人们的猜测，认为它可能会推迟到明年年初。

韩国于 5 月启动了“张保皋 N”项目，计划在 2030 年代末建造至少三艘 8000 吨级的核动力潜艇。

发布于2026年10月28日下午3:18（韩国标准时间）

韩国国防部长康信哲（右）周三在菲律宾宿务举行的东盟防长扩大会议前夕，与美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯举行双边会谈。图片由韩国国防部提供。

韩国和美国的国防部长周三在菲律宾举行会谈，会谈的重点可能是缩小双方在战时作战指挥权（OPCON）从华盛顿移交给首尔的时间安排等方面的分歧，以及其他联盟问题。

据首尔国防部称，韩国国防部长康信哲与美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯在宿务举行了会谈，宿务是东盟防长扩大会议（ADMM Plus）的举办地，该会议由东南亚国家联盟（东盟）牵头。

这是康建华9月上任以来两人的首次单独会面。

预计当天晚些时候将公布会晤的更多细节。

周三的会谈引起了广泛关注，因为首尔希望在李在明政府五年任期于 2030 年结束之前重新获得战时作战指挥权。韩国正努力在即将举行的高级别防务对话——安全协商会议（SCM）上宣布作战指挥权移交的目标年份。

然而，华盛顿方面对出于政治原因仓促推进这一进程表示保留意见，并强调盟国商定的条件必须得到全面满足。其中最重要的是，首尔必须具备在权力交接完成后领导联合部队的核心能力。

盟军目前正在核实韩国军队的“全面作战能力”（FOC），这是分三个阶段进行的“基于条件”的作战能力过渡计划的第二阶段。

尽管首尔官员表示这些要求已经得到满足，但美国方面坚持认为这些要求尚未得到满足。驻韩美军司令泽维尔·布伦森将军最近表示，“情况已经改变”，并且需要遵守“新的标准”。

康在周二启程前对记者表示，他将与美方就作战控制权移交和其他联盟问题进行密切磋商，包括在必要时解决FOC验证方面的分歧。

OPCON 过渡问题上出现的明显分歧引发了人们的猜测，认为下一次 SCM 谈判可能会推迟到明年初。

今年的SCM通常在10月下旬或11月初举行，但已经推迟到12月举行。

在周三的会谈中，康和赫格塞斯预计还将讨论其他联盟问题，包括首尔在华盛顿支持下推进的核动力潜艇计划。

韩国于 5 月启动了“张保皋 N”级船舶项目，计划在 2030 年代末建造至少三艘 8000 吨级船舶。此前，在去年 10 月两国领导人举行峰会后，唐纳德·特朗普政府批准了该项目的推进。

国防部此前表示，康在菲律宾期间还将与其他参会国家的对口官员举行一系列双边会谈。

外交部表示，康元杰计划于周四在东盟防长扩大会议全体会议上发言，届时他将谈到朝鲜最近在朝韩边境附近引爆地雷的非法性以及首尔在朝鲜半岛的和平努力。