US sees OPCON transfer efforts as chance for improvement in S. Korea's warfighting capability: Colby

The U.S. Department of Defense is using South Korea’s OPCON transfer push as a chance to improve Seoul’s warfighting capability, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby said in a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee last Thursday. Colby said the Pentagon is modernizing the Seoul-Washington alliance and strengthening its conventional posture in South Korea against regional threats. He also said South Korea has become the first ally outside NATO to adopt a 3.5 percent of GDP defense-spending standard and has agreed to take primary responsibility for conventional defense against North Korea.

Colby said the Pentagon is using South Korea’s effort to retake wartime operational control as an opportunity to incentivize generational improvements in ROK warfighting capability.

President Lee Jae Myung’s administration is seeking to complete the conditions-based OPCON transition before its term ends in 2030.

Colby said South Korea has become the first ally outside NATO to adopt a 3.5 percent of gross domestic product standard for core military capabilities.

He said South Korea has agreed to take primary responsibility for its conventional defense against North Korea.

Colby submitted the statement in an update to the implementation of the Pentagon’s national defense strategy released earlier this year.

Published Sep 30, 2026 10:51 am KST

U.S. Under Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby attends a meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium Feb. 12. Reuters-Yonhap

The U.S. Department of Defense is using South Korea's efforts to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States as a chance to drive "generational" improvements in the Asian country's warfighting capability, a senior Pentagon official has said.

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby made the remarks in a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee last Thursday, as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration seeks to complete the conditions-based OPCON transition before its term ends in 2030.

"As the ROK accelerates efforts to assume wartime operational control over ROK forces, the Department is using this opportunity to incentivize generational improvements in ROK warfighting capability," Colby said in the statement. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

He also noted that the department is continuing to modernize the Seoul-Washington alliance, strengthening U.S. conventional posture in South Korea "against all regional threats," as Washington seeks to leverage its alliance network to bolster Indo-Pacific security in the face of an increasingly assertive China.

Commenting on "burden sharing" in the Indo-Pacific, Colby said that the Pentagon has made "significant progress," stressing that South Korea has become the first ally outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to adopt what it calls the "new global standard for defense spending — 3.5 percent of gross domestic product on core military capabilities.

Moreover, he said that South Korea has agreed to take "primary" responsibility for its conventional defense against North Korea.

Colby submitted the statement in an update to the implementation of the Pentagon's national defense strategy released earlier this year.

美国国防部副部长埃尔布里奇·科尔比上周四在参议院军事委员会发表声明称，美国国防部正利用韩国推进作战指挥权移交的契机，提升首尔的作战能力。科尔比表示，五角大楼正在推进首尔-华盛顿联盟的现代化，并加强其在韩国的常规防御态势，以应对地区威胁。他还指出，韩国已成为北约以外首个将国防开支标准设定为GDP 3.5%的盟国，并已同意承担对朝常规防御的主要责任。

科尔比表示，五角大楼正利用韩国重新夺回战时作战控制权的努力，作为激励韩国作战能力实现代际提升的机会。

李在明总统的政府希望在2030年任期结束前完成有条件的运营控制权过渡。

科尔比表示，韩国已成为北约以外第一个采用国内生产总值 3.5% 作为核心军事能力标准的盟国。

他说，韩国已同意承担其对朝鲜常规防御的主要责任。

科尔比提交了这份声明，作为今年早些时候发布的五角大楼国家国防战略实施情况更新报告的一部分。

发布于2026年9月30日上午10:51（韩国标准时间）

美国国防部副部长埃尔布里奇·科尔比2月12日出席在比利时布鲁塞尔北约总部举行的会议。（路透社-韩联社）

一位五角大楼高级官员表示，美国国防部正利用韩国从美国手中夺回战时作战控制权（OPCON）的机会，推动这个亚洲国家的作战能力实现“代际”提升。

美国国防部负责政策的副部长埃尔布里奇·科尔比上周四在参议院军事委员会发表声明时发表了上述言论。与此同时，韩国总统李在明的政府正寻求在2030年任期结束前完成基于条件的作战指挥权过渡。

科尔比在声明中表示：“随着韩国加快推进战时对韩国军队的作战指挥，美国国防部正利用这一契机，激励韩国实现作战能力的代际提升。”韩国的正式名称为大韩民国。

他还指出，国务院正在继续推进首尔-华盛顿联盟的现代化，加强美国在韩国的常规军事态势，“以应对所有地区威胁”，因为华盛顿正寻求利用其联盟网络来加强印太地区的安全，以应对日益强势的中国。

科尔比在评论印太地区的“负担分担”时表示，五角大楼已经取得了“重大进展”，并强调韩国已成为北大西洋公约组织以外第一个采用其所谓的“新的全球国防开支标准——将国内生产总值的 3.5% 用于核心军事能力”的盟国。

此外，他还表示，韩国已同意承担其对朝鲜常规防御的“主要”责任。

科尔比提交了这份声明，作为今年早些时候发布的五角大楼国家国防战略实施情况更新报告的一部分。