Home > National > Defense

Korea, U.S. discuss Opcon transfer during defense dialogue

Published: 24 Sep. 2025, 21:00

The 27th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) was held at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan District, central Seoul from Sept. 23 to 24. [MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE]

Korea told the United States this week during senior-level talks aimed at shaping what both governments describe as a "modernized alliance" that it plans to complete the transfer of wartime operational control within President Lee Jae Myung’s term.

The conversations were held during the 27th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD), a two-day meeting that began Tuesday at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, central Seoul.

Senior officials from both sides “assessed overall defense cooperation to modernize the alliance in a mutually beneficial and future-oriented way and held in-depth discussions on key issues," according to the ministry.

Sources with knowledge of the talks said the agenda included some of the most sensitive issues in the alliance: Opcon, defense industry cooperation such as ship maintenance, repair and overhaul, increases in defense spending and the strategic flexibility of U.S. Forces Korea.

The officials also reviewed follow-up measures from the bilateral summit in Washington last August, which included discussions on Korea’s role in reviving its shipbuilding industry by participating in the Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) project, which covers U.S. naval ship construction, as well as details on Seoul’s planned defense budget increases.

The MASGA project involves $150 billion in Korean investment to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry as part of a trade deal that reduced U.S. tariffs on Korean imports.

Yoon Bong-hee, the acting deputy defense minister for policy, led Seoul's delegation. John No, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of war for East Asia, headed the U.S. side.

Seoul delivered to Washington its official position on transferring Opcon within the current administration's term, a national policy task confirmed on Sept. 16.

A ministry official said the two sides “reviewed the progress of the conditions-based Opcon transition plan and agreed that significant advances have been made.”

Yoon Bong-hee, the acting deputy defense minister for policy, left, and John Noh, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, right, attend the 27th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) held in Seoul from Sept. 23 to 24 as chief delegates of their respective sides. [MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE]

Korea and the United States first set out conditions for the transition in 2014. They require that Korea secure key military capabilities to lead combined defense, that the alliance be able to respond comprehensively to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and that the security environment on the peninsula and in the region remain stable enough for the transfer.

Under this framework, the Opcon transfer must clear three stages of assessment: Initial Operational Capability, Full Operational Capability (FOC) and Full Mission Capability. The final assessment for the first stage took place in 2022, but experts say progress on the second stage, the FOC evaluation, could come soon.

Washington also presented the broad direction of its latest National Defense Strategy, which reflects the Trump administration's security priorities.

When asked whether the talks addressed the issue of the strategic flexibility of U.S. Forces Korea, a ministry official said, “We cannot confirm the details of the U.S. requests […] but the two sides held comprehensive discussions on alliance issues.”

This week’s KIDD also served as preparation for the annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between the two countries' defense ministers, which the allies are considering holding in early November in Seoul.

“Since KIDD is a working-level forum, the two sides exchanged views on a wide range of interests, while important decisions will be made at the SCM,” the ministry said.

Launched in 2011, KIDD is a senior-level channel for defense consultations between Seoul and Washington, held once or twice a year alternately in each country. This week’s talks came just four months after the May meeting and marked the first KIDD session under the Lee administration.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG,SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]