An Kyoo-baek, the Minister of National Defense, announced on June 14 that he will propose a target year for the transition of South Korea's wartime operational control to the presidents of South Korea and the United States by the end of this year, following consultations between the two nations' defense ministers.
During an appearance on KBS's Sunday Diagnosis, Minister An stated, "We will discuss the verification of Full Operational Capability (FOC) with the U.S. Secretary of Defense at the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in November, and based on that, we will make a proposal to the presidents of both countries. This will determine the target year for the recovery of operational control."
President Lee Jae-myung mentioned during a press conference on June 8, marking his first year in office, that he would do his utmost to ensure that the valuable diplomatic and security achievements made over the past year, including the revision of the South Korea-U.S. nuclear agreement, the introduction of nuclear submarines, and the early recovery of wartime operational control, bear concrete fruit.
The future Combined Forces Command, which will lead the South Korea-U.S. joint defense after the transition of operational control, will undergo a three-stage evaluation and verification process: Initial Operational Capability (IOC), Full Operational Capability (FOC), and Full Mission Capability (FMC). The FMC evaluation, which focuses on political assessments, is expected to be completed within a year.
On June 4, the Ministry of National Defense explained in a report on the achievements of the government during its first year that it is working on the verification of the Future Combined Forces Command's Full Operational Capability in 2026 and developing a roadmap to accelerate the transition of wartime operational control.
Additionally, to establish a stronger joint defense posture after the recovery of operational control, the ministry noted that it is promoting the permanent establishment of six joint component commands, including the evaluation of Full Mission Capability for the Combined Special Operations Command conducted in March.
When asked whether the conditions for the transition of operational control agreed upon in the past between South Korea and the U.S. can reflect the changing nature of modern warfare, including drones, Minister An responded, "New weapons emerge every day, and the battlefield dynamics change rapidly. So, can we say that the conditions are set in stone? The paradigm of warfare has changed significantly, but our capabilities are sufficient."
He added, "South Korea and the U.S. have promised to recover operational control based on conditions, and we have been diligently assessing those conditions. I believe we should discuss such matters after recovering operational control."
In response to a question about differences in views between South Korea and the U.S. regarding the timing of the transition, he acknowledged, "There may be differing opinions. Even between spouses, there can be different thoughts, so how can we expect consensus between countries on the issue of operational control?"
He emphasized, "It is crucial for us to narrow those differences, and we are closely communicating with the U.S. to achieve that."
Meanwhile, Minister An stated that the development of the South Korean nuclear-powered submarine, referred to as the 'Jangbogo N Project,' is progressing rapidly, with the goal of constructing the first vessel by the mid-2030s.
He remarked, "South Korea possesses all the necessary conditions, including submarine and nuclear technology. We only lack nuclear fuel, and we plan to seek cooperation from the U.S. for low-enriched uranium below 20%."
When asked whether an agreement had been reached with the U.S. on domestic construction of nuclear submarines, he replied, "No agreement has been made yet," adding, "Building them in other countries is less efficient in terms of cost and technology. Our consistent position is that they should be built domestically with our technology, and the U.S. understands this process."
During an appearance on KBS's Sunday Diagnosis, Minister An stated, "We will discuss the verification of Full Operational Capability (FOC) with the U.S. Secretary of Defense at the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in November, and based on that, we will make a proposal to the presidents of both countries. This will determine the target year for the recovery of operational control."
President Lee Jae-myung mentioned during a press conference on June 8, marking his first year in office, that he would do his utmost to ensure that the valuable diplomatic and security achievements made over the past year, including the revision of the South Korea-U.S. nuclear agreement, the introduction of nuclear submarines, and the early recovery of wartime operational control, bear concrete fruit.
The future Combined Forces Command, which will lead the South Korea-U.S. joint defense after the transition of operational control, will undergo a three-stage evaluation and verification process: Initial Operational Capability (IOC), Full Operational Capability (FOC), and Full Mission Capability (FMC). The FMC evaluation, which focuses on political assessments, is expected to be completed within a year.
On June 4, the Ministry of National Defense explained in a report on the achievements of the government during its first year that it is working on the verification of the Future Combined Forces Command's Full Operational Capability in 2026 and developing a roadmap to accelerate the transition of wartime operational control.
Additionally, to establish a stronger joint defense posture after the recovery of operational control, the ministry noted that it is promoting the permanent establishment of six joint component commands, including the evaluation of Full Mission Capability for the Combined Special Operations Command conducted in March.
When asked whether the conditions for the transition of operational control agreed upon in the past between South Korea and the U.S. can reflect the changing nature of modern warfare, including drones, Minister An responded, "New weapons emerge every day, and the battlefield dynamics change rapidly. So, can we say that the conditions are set in stone? The paradigm of warfare has changed significantly, but our capabilities are sufficient."
He added, "South Korea and the U.S. have promised to recover operational control based on conditions, and we have been diligently assessing those conditions. I believe we should discuss such matters after recovering operational control."
In response to a question about differences in views between South Korea and the U.S. regarding the timing of the transition, he acknowledged, "There may be differing opinions. Even between spouses, there can be different thoughts, so how can we expect consensus between countries on the issue of operational control?"
He emphasized, "It is crucial for us to narrow those differences, and we are closely communicating with the U.S. to achieve that."
Meanwhile, Minister An stated that the development of the South Korean nuclear-powered submarine, referred to as the 'Jangbogo N Project,' is progressing rapidly, with the goal of constructing the first vessel by the mid-2030s.
He remarked, "South Korea possesses all the necessary conditions, including submarine and nuclear technology. We only lack nuclear fuel, and we plan to seek cooperation from the U.S. for low-enriched uranium below 20%."
When asked whether an agreement had been reached with the U.S. on domestic construction of nuclear submarines, he replied, "No agreement has been made yet," adding, "Building them in other countries is less efficient in terms of cost and technology. Our consistent position is that they should be built domestically with our technology, and the U.S. understands this process."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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