Korea, US vow to strengthen cooperation to accelerate wartime OPCON transition in defense talks

Korea and the United States said they will strengthen cooperation to accelerate the transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul during defense talks in Busan from Wednesday to Friday. The 29th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue came as President Lee Jae Myung’s administration seeks to retake wartime OPCON before 2030. The sides also reviewed follow-up defense cooperation measures and visited defense industry sites.

The allies have worked on the conditions-based wartime OPCON transfer since agreeing to it in October 2014.

The transition conditions include Korea’s ability to lead combined Korea-U.S. forces, its strike and air defense capabilities, and a regional security environment suitable for the handover.

The latest KIDD was led by Seoul’s Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Kim Hong-Cheol and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia George LeMeur.

Published Sep 19, 2026 9:10 am KST

Updated Sep 19, 2026 2:53 pm KST

Korean and U.S. officials hold senior-level defense talks, called the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue, in Seoul, Sept. 18, 2023. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

Korea and the United States pledged to reinforce cooperation to accelerate the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul from Washington during their senior-level defense talks this week, a joint statement said Friday.

The allies held the 29th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) in Korea's southeastern city of Busan from Wednesday to Friday, as President Lee Jae Myung's administration seeks to retake wartime OPCON before the end of its term in 2030.

"Both sides evaluated the work to modernize the alliance in the face of an evolving security environment," they said in the statement.

"They also assessed progress on the Conditions-based Wartime Operational Control Transition Plan, and pledged to strengthen cooperation to accelerate the transition of wartime OPCON," they added.

Seoul and Washington have been working on the conditions-based OPCON transfer since they agreed on it in October 2014. The conditions include Korea's capabilities to lead combined Korea-U.S. forces, its strike and air defense capabilities, and a regional security environment conducive to such a handover.

At the defense talks, the two sides also assessed the progress in implementing follow-up measures in the areas of defense cooperation within the joint fact sheet on bilateral security and other agreements, as well as the joint communique of last year's defense ministerial talks, called the Security Consultative Meeting, according to the statement.

Seoul and Washington released the joint fact sheet in November to outline a series of agreements from last year's summits between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The latest KIDD gathering was led by Seoul's Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Kim Hong-Cheol and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia George LeMeur.

Aside from the talks, the two sides visited major defense industry sites together to further bolster cooperation in areas of shipbuilding and aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul activities, enhancing mutual understanding on key defense issues, according to the statement.

"The two sides pledged to maintain close and continuous consultations on matters pertinent to the security of the ROK-U.S. Alliance going forward," they said.

韩国和美国在周三至周五于釜山举行的防务对话中表示，双方将加强合作，加快战时作战指挥权向首尔的移交。此次第29次韩美一体化防务对话正值李在明总统政府寻求在2030年前重新夺回战时作战指挥权之际。双方还审查了后续防务合作措施，并参观了国防工业企业。

自 2014 年 10 月达成协议以来，盟军一直在研究基于条件的战时作战指挥权移交问题。

过渡条件包括韩国领导韩美联合部队的能力、打击和防空能力，以及适合移交的地区安全环境。

最新一届 KIDD 会议由首尔国防政策副部长金洪哲和美国国防部负责东亚事务的副助理部长乔治·勒默尔领导。

发布于2026年9月19日上午9:10（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月19日下午2:53（韩国标准时间）

2023年9月18日，韩美官员在首尔举行高级别防务会谈，即韩美一体化防务对话。图片由韩国国防部提供。

韩国和美国周五发表联合声明称，双方在本周举行的高级别防务会谈中承诺加强合作，加快将战时作战指挥权（OPCON）从华盛顿移交给首尔。

韩美两国于周三至周五在韩国东南部城市釜山举行了第29届韩美联合防务对话（KIDD），李在明总统领导的政府希望在2030年任期结束前重新夺回战时作战控制权。

双方在声明中表示：“双方评估了在不断变化的安全环境下，联盟现代化工作所取得的进展。”

他们还评估了基于条件的战时作战控制过渡计划的进展情况，并承诺加强合作，加快战时作战控制的过渡。

自2014年10月达成协议以来，首尔和华盛顿一直在努力推进有条件的作战指挥权移交工作。这些条件包括韩国领导韩美联合部队的能力、其打击和防空能力，以及有利于这种移交的地区安全环境。

声明称，在防务会谈中，双方还评估了在双边安全及其他协议的联合情况说明书以及去年国防部长会谈（即安全磋商会议）联合公报框架下，防务合作领域后续措施的落实进展情况。

首尔和华盛顿于 11 月发布了联合情况说明书，概述了去年李明博与美国总统唐纳德·特朗普峰会达成的一系列协议。

最新一届 KIDD 会议由首尔国防政策副部长金洪哲和美国国防部东亚事务副助理部长乔治·勒默尔主持。

声明称，除会谈外，双方还一同参观了主要的国防工业基地，以进一步加强在造船和航空维修、修理和大修等领域的合作，增进对关键国防问题的相互了解。

他们表示：“双方承诺今后将就与韩美同盟安全相关的事项保持密切和持续的磋商。”