South Korea, US Postpone Security Talks Amid Wartime Command Disputes
The decision to delay the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) was reached during the first meeting between US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul in Cebu City, the Philippines.
Both officials are attending the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, which brings together defense leaders from regional countries, including China, Japan, Australia and India. Beijing did not send its defense minister to this year’s gathering.
According to South Korea’s Defense Ministry, the two ministers emphasized the importance of successfully holding the historic 58th South Korea-US SCM and “they agreed to … convene the SCM in early 2027.”
The ministry added that Kang and Hegseth are scheduled to meet again in Washington, DC, in December.
The annual security meeting typically takes place in late October or early November.
"Seoul seeks to regain wartime OPCON (operational control) before the Lee Jae Myung administration's five-year term ends in 2030, pushing to announce a target year for the OPCON transfer at the upcoming SCM," according to reports.
South Korea hosts approximately 39,000 US troops under a mutual defense treaty with Washington. President Lee Jae Myung’s administration has pledged to restore wartime command authority over the forces before his term concludes in 2030.
Hegseth “reaffirmed the United States' commitment to the wartime operational control transition, and both ministers agreed to closely cooperate to ensure the transition proceeds smoothly at the right time,” the South Korean Defense Ministry said.
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