DP lawmakers signal they will seek wartime operational control transfer from United States

Lawmakers in the ruling Democratic Party signaled Friday they may more actively push to transfer wartime operational control to Korea from the United States, a long-debated shift that has repeatedly resurfaced under progressive administrations.

President Lee Jae Myung, right, speaks with National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, left, during a National Security Council meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, on July 10, in this photo uploaded to President Lee's social media. [NEWS1]

Lawmakers in the ruling Democratic Party (DP) signaled Friday they may more actively push to transfer wartime operational control (Opcon) to Korea from the United States, a long-debated shift that has repeatedly resurfaced under progressive administrations.

Rep. Moon Jin-seog, the DP's senior deputy floor leader for parliamentary operations, told reporters Friday morning that the party could even consider revising the law to secure control in an emergency.

"If it benefits the national interest, we can amend the law," he said when asked if the National Assembly was preparing such a bill.

His comments came after the presidential office responded earlier to a media report claiming that Seoul had begun formal consultations with Washington on the Opcon transfer.

Opcon, or operational control, refers to the authority to command military operations. Korea regained peacetime operational control in 1994, but wartime control has remained with the U.S.-led Combined Forces Command since 1978.

Progressive civic groups with strong anti-American leanings have repeatedly pressed for "full Opcon transfer" whenever a DP administration takes power.

During his campaign, President Lee Jae Myung also pledged to "pursue the transfer of Opcon based on the Korea-U.S. alliance," listing it as one of his top ten campaign promises.

Still, the office downplayed any suggestion of new talks, saying Friday morning, "We will continue close consultations with the United States. The transfer of wartime operational control has long been a subject of discussion between Seoul and Washington and is not a new issue."

Still, the DP appeared to be adopting a more proactive stance.

The Korean and U.S. flags stand side by side during a rotation brigade transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi, on June 18. [YONHAP]

DP Rep. Kim Woo-young, who has been tapped to join President Lee’s special delegation to the United States, also weighed in on the topic.

Speaking on SBS Radio on Friday, Kim was asked whether discussions with Washington would cover not only defense cost-sharing but also Opcon transfer.

"Most issues should be brought to the surface," he said. "From the perspective of mutual benefit, the level of adjustment is something that needs to proceed through negotiation."

"As allies, there’s no reason Korea and the United States shouldn’t discuss these matters," he added.

Kim, a key confidant of President Lee from his time as DP chair, previously served as Lee’s senior political affairs secretary.

Some experts warn that the issue is too complex to be resolved hastily.

Chung Ku-youn, a professor at Kangwon National University, cautioned that "Opcon transfer is not the kind of bargaining chip that can be weighed on the same scale as tariff negotiations."

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY SHIM SAE-ROM [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]