South Korea on Wednesday renewed its push to finalise a target year for regaining wartime operational control (OPCON) command from the US, Yonhap News reported.
The defence ministry, in a policy briefing to President Lee Jae-myung, reaffirmed the commitment, seeking to retake wartime command before Lee's five-year term ends in 2030 or even before US President Donald Trump leaves office in January 2029.
A senior ministry official said the upcoming bilateral military exercise with the US will provide a stage to assess the tasks required for the OPCON transition.
Under the three-phase OPCON transition plan, the allies are at the second stage of verifying the combined forces' "full operational capability."
South Korea aims to announce the target year at the annual Security Consultative Meeting between the two defence chiefs this autumn.
Washington and Seoul agreed to a "conditions-based" OPCON transition plan in October 2014. However, the two allies have shown a growing rift over the timing of the OPCON transition after the commander of the US Forces Korea stressed military readiness over political considerations.
