The United States reiterates that it will transfer wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea only “when the agreed conditions have been met,” as Seoul seeks to set a target year for the handover. A U.S. administration official tells Yonhap in an email that the policy is consistent and is intended to ensure the safety and security of people in Korea and U.S. forces stationed there.
The remarks are linked to statements by South Korea’s Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul, who says Seoul and Washington are coordinating on completing full operational capabilities and discussing a target year for Korea to retake wartime OPCON from the U.S. While both outlets focus on the same U.S. message—conditional OPCON transfer—their framing differs: the Korea Times highlights the U.S. “stress” on conditions alongside South Korea’s push for a timeline, while Yonhap presents the developments in a Washington dateline format as part of its ongoing coverage of the bilateral security agenda.
