N. Korea's nuclear test prompts Seoul, Washington to rethink wartime command transfer: FM

North Korea's nuclear test last year prompted Seoul and Washington to rethink their agreement on South Korea retaking the wartime operational command over its troops from the United States in 2012, Seoul's foreign minister said Thursday.

"I think there will be no big problem to think that the perception of changes in the situation began with North Korea's second nuclear test after President Obama took office," Yu told a press briefing. "Reflecting the situation around the Korean Peninsula is important" in carrying out the command transfer plan, he said.

South Korea handed over control of its forces to the U.S. during the 1950-53 Korean War to defend against invading troops from North Korea. Peacetime control of its forces was returned in 1994, and the country is scheduled to get back the wartime operational control in April 2012.

Yu's remark came amid growing calls in South Korea for delaying the planned transfer in the wake of North Korea's sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March, which killed 46 sailors.

Critics have claimed that South Korea's military capabilities are not yet strong enough, and that the transfer would undercut the security alliance with the U.S. and reduce the ally's support to South Korea.//Yonhap

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com