South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has renewed his push to bring wartime operational control of South Korean forces back under Seoul’s authority after US President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises this week.
Lee said on Tuesday that the planned transfer should proceed without disruption during his term. He also called for faster progress on South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine programme and for developing officers able to lead integrated operations in future conflicts.
What changed in the exercises
Trump issued the order on Sunday night, saying North Korea had been “unthreatening and respectful” and citing his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During questioning at the White House on Monday, Trump said Kim had responded to the Pentagon order and described their conversations as “very positive”, without giving further details.
The affected exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, began on Monday and had been planned to run for 10 days. It was expected to involve about 18,000 South Korean troops, US forces and personnel from 11 of the 18 states in the United Nations Command, which oversees the 1953 armistice.
Related coverage: North Korea launches missile before US-South Korea drills.
Why wartime control matters
Wartime operational control, known as Opcon, is the authority to direct South Korean forces if fighting resumes. It has been exercised through the allies’ Combined Forces Command, led by a US four-star general, since the Korean war began.
South Korea regained peacetime control of its military in 1994, but wartime authority has remained a symbol of national sovereignty. Its transfer has been a major security goal for more than two decades and has repeatedly been delayed under successive governments.
The alliance and North Korean threat
Lee said a strong US-South Korea alliance and stronger independent defence capabilities reinforce each other. The curtailed drills had been intended to help certify South Korea’s readiness for the eventual transfer of wartime control, which Lee has sought to accelerate since taking office.
More context: South Korea’s Lee urges dialogue with North Korea on a peace regime.
US and South Korean military officials had warned that North Korea was learning battlefield tactics from sending troops to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The drills were due to incorporate lessons including North Korean experience with battlefield drones. South Korea’s presidential office said the exercise was not intended to attack North Korea or escalate tensions, but to protect people’s safe and peaceful daily lives.
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