The Ministry of National Defense announced that a "2026 Second Quarter Evaluation Meeting on the Transfer of Wartime Operational Control" was held on July 1, led by Minister An Kyoo-baek in the Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting room.
About 130 military leaders and officials, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, service chiefs, the Deputy Commander of the Combined Forces Command, and the Deputy Minister of Defense Acquisition Program Administration, attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the progress of key initiatives for accelerating the transfer of wartime operational control, including discussions on the roadmap between South Korea and the United States and the verification of Full Operational Capability (FOC) for the future Combined Forces Command.
Minister An emphasized the importance of this year for completing the FOC verification and determining the timing for the transfer of wartime operational control, urging all branches of the military to consolidate their efforts.
He also received reports on the progress of establishing the Combined Special Operations Command and praised the successful evaluation of its Full Mission Capability (FMC) conducted in March. The military plans to finalize the establishment of the Combined Special Operations Command by the end of this year.
The meeting addressed not only the progress in meeting the conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control but also tasks aimed at enhancing the integrity of the South Korean-led combined defense system post-transfer.
Minister An stated, "Thanks to the tireless efforts of our military over the past 20 years, we are now in a position where we could recover wartime operational control without issues, as the military and policy conditions, along with public support, are in place. We must conclude the transfer of wartime operational control and create a 'security momentum' that leads to a stronger South Korea and an even stronger South Korea-U.S. alliance."
He added, "The completion of the FOC verification for the future Combined Forces Command is a significant task that is approaching, and in the second half of the year, I urge all branches to unite to fulfill this historic mission of recovering wartime operational control."
The Ministry of National Defense aims to finalize the FOC verification for the future Combined Forces Command at the upcoming South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington, D.C., in November, where the defense ministers of both countries will propose the target year for the transfer of wartime operational control to their respective presidents.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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