S. Korea seeks 'top-down' approach with U.S. for breakthrough in OPCON transfer韩国寻求与美国采取“自上而下”的方式，以期在作战指挥权移交方面取得突破。
SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will seek a "top-down" approach with the ...
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SEOUL, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will seek a "top-down" approach with the United States for a breakthrough in the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition, the defense ministry said Thursday, dismissing the view that a delay of the allies' annual security talks signals a setback in the transfer timeline.
The allies announced Wednesday the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), a key dialogue between their defense chiefs, has been pushed back to early next year, following bilateral talks between Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Philippines earlier in the day.
The ministry said Kang and Hegseth plan to meet again for another round of talks in Washington in December, viewed to be a rare move given that the SCM typically works "bottom-up" -- bringing the defense chiefs together to finalize agreements reached during prior working-level consultations between their top military officers.
"We intend to produce a successful outcome through a 'top-down' approach, whereby the defense chiefs present a policy direction based on evaluations of military authorities of the two sides," ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said in a press briefing.
"Specifically, we are pursuing a 'two-step' approach -- share a clear understanding on key issues through consultations between the minister and the secretary in December, and based on that, reach a final decision at the SCM early next year," she said.
Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul (R) poses with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during their bilateral talks ahead of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus in Cebu, the Philippines, on Oct. 28, 2026, in this photo provided by South Korea's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The delay of the SCM further adds weight to the widely held view that there may be disagreements over the timing of the OPCON transition.
Seoul wants to accelerate the process and complete it before 2030, when the incumbent Lee Jae Myung administration's five-year term will end, while Washington remains wary of a rushed handover driven by political considerations.
In the media readout released after Wednesday's talks, Seoul said both sides agreed to work to ensure a "timely" OPCON transfer, drawing a contrast with the word "expedite" that has been used in reference to the transition in previous statements.
"By 'timely,' it means that we are seeking the most appropriate timing to ensure a successful OPCON transfer, comprehensively taking into account the required conditions and readiness of both South Korea and the U.S.," Chung said when asked to elaborate.
"It does not mean a delay in the transfer," she added.
At Wednesday's talks, the U.S. side repeatedly called on both sides to ensure the upcoming SCM will be a "definitive and decisive" meeting, which, a defense ministry official said, reflected that they are aligned with Seoul on the significance of the next round of the dialogue.
This is the first time in 28 years since 1998 that the SCM, a decadeslong mechanism for broad discussions on alliance and security, will be held after the turn of the year.
Scheduling and other pending issues on the U.S. side, including its war against Iran and the midterm elections, are widely seen as having factored into the decision to delay the SCM.
In this file photo, defense ministry spokesperson Chung Binna speaks during a press briefing at the ministry headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, on Aug. 10, 2026. (Yonhap)
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首尔，10月29日（韩联社）——韩国国防部周四表示，韩国将寻求与美国采取“自上而下”的方式，以期在战时作战指挥权（OPCON）交接方面取得突破，并驳斥了盟国年度安全会谈的推迟意味着交接时间表受挫的观点。
盟国周三宣布，两国国防部长之间的重要对话——安全磋商会议（SCM）将推迟到明年初举行。此前，韩国国防部长康信哲和美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯当天早些时候在菲律宾举行了双边会谈。
国防部表示，康和赫格塞斯计划于12月在华盛顿再次会面，举行新一轮会谈。鉴于战略军事协调机制通常采取“自下而上”的方式——即召集国防部长共同敲定此前两国高级军官在工作层面磋商中达成的协议——此举实属罕见。
“我们打算通过‘自上而下’的方式取得成功，即双方国防部长根据双方军事当局的评估提出政策方向，”国防部发言人钟彬那在新闻发布会上说。
“具体来说，我们正在采取‘两步走’的方式——12 月份部长和秘书之间通过磋商，就关键问题达成明确的共识，并在此基础上，于明年初在 SCM 会议上做出最终决定，”她说道。
2026年10月28日，韩国国防部长康信哲（右）与美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯在菲律宾宿务举行的东盟防长扩大会议前举行双边会谈。此照片由韩国国防部提供。（照片不得出售）（韩联社）
SCM 的延迟进一步加剧了人们普遍认为的关于 OPCON 过渡时间可能存在分歧的观点。
首尔希望加快权力交接进程，并在2030年李在明政府五年任期结束前完成，而华盛顿则对出于政治考虑而仓促交接权力保持警惕。
在周三会谈后发布的媒体声明中，首尔方面表示，双方同意努力确保“及时”移交运营控制权，这与之前声明中提到的“加快”移交一词形成了对比。
当被要求详细说明时，郑表示：“所谓‘及时’，是指我们正在寻求最合适的时机，以确保作战指挥权的成功移交，并全面考虑韩国和美国双方所需的条件和准备情况。”
她补充说：“这并不意味着转账会延迟。”
在周三的会谈中，美方多次呼吁双方确保即将举行的防务合作机制会议是一次“具有决定性和决定性的”会议。一位国防部官员表示，这反映出美方与首尔在下一轮对话的重要性问题上立场一致。
这是自 1998 年以来，28 年来首次在新年之后举行安全协调机制会议（SCM），该机制已运行数十年，旨在就联盟和安全问题进行广泛讨论。
美国方面的日程安排和其他待决问题，包括其对伊朗的战争和中期选举，被广泛认为是导致推迟《防卫指令》的决定的因素。
这张资料照片显示，韩国国防部发言人郑彬那于2026年8月10日在首尔龙山区国防部总部举行的新闻发布会上发表讲话。（韩联社）
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（第三份声明）首尔方面表示，韩国和美国同意将关键的双边安全对话推迟到明年初。
驻韩美军前指挥官对作战指挥权移交后的指挥结构表示担忧
美国强调战时作战指挥权移交的条件，韩国则力促设定目标年。
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。
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
韩国寻求与美国采取“自上而下”的方式，以期在作战指挥权移交方面取得突破。