Hegseth calls Lee's push for early Opcon transfer a 'breath of fresh air'
![U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reacts during the question and answer portion of a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on May 30. Defense ministers and officials from 44 countries are gathered in the city-state for the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual high level defense summit in the Asia Pacific region. [EPA/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/30/c4b27d7c-d8a6-4af6-ad06-f6ae8437c4f5.jpg)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reacts during the question and answer portion of a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on May 30. Defense ministers and officials from 44 countries are gathered in the city-state for the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual high level defense summit in the Asia Pacific region. [EPA/YONHAP]
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday voiced strong support for the Lee Jae Myung administration's push for an early transfer of wartime operational control (Opcon), indicating that he viewed the move as encouraging.
Hegseth made the remarks at a session of the Shangri-La Dialogue — Asia's premier defense summit — held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore and organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
"I think we have to find the balance of where our military plans and the responsibilities that U.S. uniformed members have had for decades now (are) honored, as we phase over to wartime Opcon transfer for the Republic of Korea, which we welcome the fact that they want that," Hegseth said, referring to Korea by its official name.
"It's a breath of fresh air for an ally to want to take more control more quickly," continued Hegseth. "That is an instinct we want to continue to incentivize," adding that the Opcon transfer "provides even more optionality for both the Koreans and the United States there in the peninsula going forward, which is a very good thing."
The remarks drew attention because they differed from the stance of previous U.S. administrations. In April, Combined Forces Command Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson argued for a more cautious approach, saying that "political expediency should not precede conditions."
On Saturday, however, Hegseth positively assessed and encouraged Korea's willingness to take the initiative in leading its own military operations.
“If you want to see what burden sharing looks like, consider the Republic of Korea,” said Hegseth. “South Korea has invested consistently in its own defense, because it does not have the luxury of treating war like an academic exercise. They live on the front lines and so they build real combat power.”
![U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reacts during a question-and-answer session in a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue Defence Summit in Singapore, May 30, 2026. Defense ministers and officials from 44 countries are gathered in the city state for the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual high level defense summit in the Asia Pacific region. [EPA/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/30/69f42be2-729e-4277-90b1-86731e45820b.jpg)
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reacts during a question-and-answer session in a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue Defence Summit in Singapore, May 30, 2026. Defense ministers and officials from 44 countries are gathered in the city state for the IISS Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual high level defense summit in the Asia Pacific region. [EPA/YONHAP]
Hegseth went on to say that Lee's decision to boost defense spending to 3.5 percent “reflects simply a clear-eyed understanding of the threat environment.”
Hegseth also declared that the United States would no longer unilaterally shoulder the security burden of wealthy allies with sufficient economic resources or effectively subsidize their defense.
"President Trump believes in helping countries that help themselves," said Hegseth. "And the United States Department of War feels the exact same way."
Hegseth said allies should significantly increase their own defense spending and strengthen their security responsibilities and defense capabilities. He stressed a more active defense role for allies, signaling a step away from the United States serving as the world's police.
“We applaud the pragmatism and leadership demonstrated by Seoul,” Hegseth said during his speech. “The region will be far more stable and more secure when other allies and partners follow that path.”
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 HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)