Speaking at a parliamentary audit of the Ministry of National Defense, Kang said the two allies are working toward completing the Full Operational Capability (FOC) verification and determining a specific year for the transfer.
His remarks came after Rep. Kim Byung-joo of the ruling Democratic Party urged the government to secure a clear timeline at the upcoming Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), expected to take place in the United States in December.
The FOC verification is the second stage of a three-phase assessment process designed to evaluate whether the future South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, led by a South Korean four-star general, can effectively carry out wartime missions.
Seoul aims to complete the assessment and agree on a target transfer year at the SCM, although differences remain between the allies over whether the necessary conditions have been met.
Asked what Seoul would do if Washington refused to agree on a specific timeline, Kang said the government could consider various options but emphasized that close coordination with the United States remains its priority.
Kim suggested that South Korea should consider declaring independent exercise of wartime operational control if negotiations fail.
Kang, however, maintained that the transfer should proceed on the basis of mutual trust.
The minister also said Seoul had conveyed concerns over recent remarks by Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, suggesting that the criteria for meeting OPCON transfer conditions could change.
According to Kang, U.S. government officials expressed some understanding of Seoul's concerns.
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