President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump walk and talk as they move to the summit venue at the Gyeongju National Museum on Oct. 29. (Photo provided by the Presidential Office.)
SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea and the United States have agreed to accelerate long-stalled efforts to transfer wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul, a move that aligns with President Lee Jae-myung’s pledge to complete the transition before the end of his term in 2030.
The commitment was included in a joint fact sheet released Friday, summarizing recent security and trade negotiations between the two governments. The document states that the two leaders will “continue alliance-level cooperation” to enable South Korea to assume primary responsibility for conventional defense on the Korean Peninsula.
The pledge provides renewed momentum to an issue that has lingered for nearly two decades. Under the current structure, the United States retains wartime command authority over South Korean forces through the Combined Forces Command. Seoul aims to regain control once it meets a set of military capability requirements evaluated jointly with Washington.
Defense officials from both countries have already agreed to complete verification of the second phase of the transition — the Full Operational Capability (FOC) assessment — by 2026. A new roadmap for a “swift transition” is also being drawn up, according to officials familiar with the discussions. The final stage, which evaluates Full Mission Capability (FMC), is largely qualitative and would ultimately require political approval by both leaders.
If the FMC evaluation begins in 2027, as expected, analysts say an OPCON transfer before June 2030, when Lee’s term ends, is possible.
“We share the same view on the process, and it is proceeding smoothly,” National Security Adviser Wi Sung-rak told reporters. “The goal is to complete the transfer as early as possible within the president’s term.”
South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps troops shout “fighting” after completing the KMEP joint infantry training exercise. (Photo provided by the ROK-U.S. Marine Corps.)
U.S. Reaffirms Troop Presence, but No Explicit Commitment on Force Levels
The fact sheet also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to maintain its defense obligations through the continued presence of U.S. Forces Korea. But unlike previous joint statements, it did not include language pledging to keep troop levels at the current 28,500 — a phrasing that has appeared regularly since a 2008 agreement between Presidents George W. Bush and Lee Myung-bak.
The omission comes as the second Trump administration reviews its new National Defense Strategy, prompting speculation that Washington may seek greater “strategic flexibility” for U.S. forces in Korea or consider limited force adjustments.
The document instead reaffirmed understandings dating back to 2006: South Korea “respects the necessity” of U.S. strategic flexibility, while the United States “respects” Seoul’s position that Korean forces will not be drawn into regional conflicts against the will of its people.
South Korean and U.S. Marine Corps troops form a combined unit during the KMEP joint infantry exercise and conduct close-quarters combat training for urban operations. (Photo provided by the ROK-U.S. Marine Corps.)
Expanded Defense Spending and Major U.S. Arms Purchases
The two sides also reached sweeping agreements on defense spending and arms procurement. South Korea committed to raising its defense budget to 3.5 percent of GDP “as soon as possible,” replacing earlier expectations of a specific 10-year timeline. Seoul is said to be planning annual increases of roughly 8 percent to meet the goal before 2035.
The fact sheet further states that Seoul will spend US$25 billion on U.S. military equipment by 2030. Planned purchases include heavy-lift helicopters, naval anti-ballistic missiles, maritime operation helicopters, command helicopters, airborne surveillance aircraft and a second batch of F-35A stealth fighters.
In addition, South Korea pledged roughly $33 billion in comprehensive support for the U.S. troop presence — a figure that includes defense cost-sharing and the value of land and facilities provided to U.S. forces.
This photo, taken on Aug. 27, 2025, shows South Korean and U.S. troops engaging in a river-crossing exercise in Yeoju, 64 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Shipbuilding Cooperation Expanded to U.S. Navy Vessels
The two governments also agreed to pursue regulatory changes that would allow South Korean shipyards to build not only U.S. commercial vessels but also U.S. Navy ships, a significant shift from longstanding rules that restrict foreign construction of American naval assets.
Seoul believes such reforms could open major new opportunities for Korea’s globally competitive shipbuilding industry.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
