U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said regarding the transfer of wartime operational control being pursued by the Lee Jae-myung administration tha...
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is holding a joint press conference with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at Japan's Ministry of Defense in Tokyo on the 29th. EPA Yonhap News U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said regarding the transfer of wartime operational control being pursued by the Lee Jae-myung administration that “I think it is a great thing.
” Since the launch of the second Donald Trump administration, this is the first time a secretary of war has clearly expressed support for an OPCON transfer. While on an Asian tour, on the 29th Hegseth answered as above during a press briefing held aboard the official plane for the U.S. Secretary of Defense en route to Malaysia, when asked by reporters, ‘South Korea wants to reclaim OPCON within the current government's five year term; what do you think about this?’ Hegseth said, “South Korea is a reliable partner in combat,” and “wants to take on a more leading role.” He continued, “This does not mean that we are stepping back , nor does it mean that we will not support,” adding, “Frankly, this is common sense. Your country is wealthy, strong, and motivated, with the capability to do it, so why would you want a relationship in which only U.S. leadership is needed in an emergency?”Earlier, the Lee administration announced a plan to bring under South Korea the wartime operational control of the South Korean military, which is currently held by the United States, within President Lee's term. The South Korean military's operational control was entrusted to the commander of United Nations forces during the 1950 Korean War, and with the establishment of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command in 1978 it was transferred to the CFC commander. On December 1, 1994, during the Kim Young-sam administration, peacetime operational control was placed under the South Korean military, but wartime operational control is still exercised by the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces commander. In response to a question about whether the United States is envisioning an Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the Indo-Pacific, Hegseth said, “I cannot say yes,” adding, “We are cooperating through bilateral and trilateral relationships.” Regarding some media reports that in the new National Defense Strategy being prepared by the United States, Japan would be included within the defense line while South Korea and Taiwan could be excluded, he said, “I do not know that,” and “I do not think that report is accurate.” Having visited Japan on the 29th, Hegseth will also tour Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea. During his visit to South Korea on the 3∼4 of next month, he is scheduled to attend the 57th ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting and visit the Demilitarized Zone .
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