South Korea, US Postpone Key Defense Talks Over Wartime Command Dispute
(MENAFN) South Korea and the United States have postponed a major annual defense meeting until early 2027 as Seoul continues pressing Washington to transfer wartime operational control of South Korean forces back to its own military.
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, Philippines.
Both officials are attending the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, a regional gathering that includes defense leaders from China, Japan, Australia and India. China, however, has not dispatched its defense minister to this year's event.
In a statement, South Korea's Defense Ministry said the two sides emphasized the importance of successfully holding the landmark 58th bilateral security meeting. They also “they agreed to … convene the SCM in early 2027.”
The ministry added that Kang and Hegseth are scheduled to hold another meeting in Washington, DC, in December.
The annual security discussions typically take place in late October or early November, making the postponement a departure from the established schedule.
South Korea is seeking to recover wartime operational control, commonly known as OPCON, before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term concludes in 2030. Seoul is also pushing to establish a target date for the transfer at the upcoming bilateral meeting, according to reports.
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, Philippines.
Both officials are attending the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, a regional gathering that includes defense leaders from China, Japan, Australia and India. China, however, has not dispatched its defense minister to this year's event.
In a statement, South Korea's Defense Ministry said the two sides emphasized the importance of successfully holding the landmark 58th bilateral security meeting. They also “they agreed to … convene the SCM in early 2027.”
The ministry added that Kang and Hegseth are scheduled to hold another meeting in Washington, DC, in December.
The annual security discussions typically take place in late October or early November, making the postponement a departure from the established schedule.
South Korea is seeking to recover wartime operational control, commonly known as OPCON, before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term concludes in 2030. Seoul is also pushing to establish a target date for the transfer at the upcoming bilateral meeting, according to reports.
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