South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for their first in-person meeting since Kang took office.
On October 28, the Ministry of National Defense released photos of the two ministers meeting while attending the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines. This marks the first direct encounter between the two since Kang's appointment on September 22.
The specific details of their discussions were not disclosed. However, given that this was their first face-to-face meeting, it is likely that key security issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control, were on the agenda.
The government has been working to finalize the verification of the Future Combined Forces Command's Full Operational Capability (FOC) through the U.S.-South Korea Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) this year, aiming to establish a timeline for the transfer of operational control.
However, the annual SCM, originally scheduled to take place in Seoul between October and November, has faced delays due to scheduling conflicts for Hegseth and unresolved differences on key security issues, including the criteria for the transfer of operational control and defense cost-sharing.
As a result, military working-level discussions, such as the Permanent Military Committee (PMC) and the U.S.-South Korea Military Committee Meeting (MCM), have also been postponed. Analysts suggest that the two ministers exchanged views on the SCM schedule and operational control transfer in a 'top-down' manner.
Before departing, Kang stated, "We will fundamentally discuss alliance matters, and I believe the transfer of wartime operational control will naturally come up. I will consult closely and return with insights," indicating the likelihood of discussing the operational control transfer.
In addition to this, the two ministers are expected to have broadly discussed major defense issues, including nuclear-powered submarines and U.S.-South Korea alliance cooperation.
During this meeting, Kang, making his debut on the international multilateral stage, plans to hold a series of discussions with defense leaders from key regional countries, including Japan, to explore ways to enhance defense and defense industry cooperation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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