Seoul pushes back against US signal for OPCON transfer delay

The South Korean military said Thursday it would stick to an existing agreement on conditions for wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer from Washington to Seoul, despite a warning from the top U.S. commander in Korea that evolving security threats require new standards. It showed discomfort over U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson’s remarks on the need to change standards and conditions for the transition because “the transfer would never be possible” under the existing standards. The military said it has not decided whether to accept any new conditions proposed by the U.S. “The principle that OPCON will be transferred once the conditions mutually agreed upon by South Korea and the United States are met remains unchanged,” ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said at a briefing. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Thursday that Seoul had already conveyed its concerns to the U.S. side over Bronson’s remarks. “We have already conveyed our position on that matter,” Kang said during a National Assembly audit, responding to a question from Rep. Son Sol