The Blue House stated that the United States is not opposed to the transition of wartime operational control, emphasizing that it is pushing for a swift transition under the right conditions.
A senior official from the Blue House told reporters on October 30, "The U.S. is not negative about the transition itself," adding that the agreement between South Korea and the U.S. is to transition "swiftly based on conditions."
The official stressed, "The important thing is to transition the operational control early and in accordance with the conditions," and emphasized that cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. and the combined defense posture must not be disrupted after the transition.
The official further stated, "It is not the government's direction to refrain from transitioning operational control due to concerns about weakening combined forces," and assured that discussions would ensure there are no disruptions in the cooperation framework after the transition.
Regarding the perception that the operational control issue is more complicated than it is, the official noted that domestic political factors have amplified the debate. The government plans to discuss the operational control and alliance issues at the upcoming South Korea-U.S. defense ministers' meeting in December and the South Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) early next year.
On South Korea-U.S. intelligence cooperation, the official acknowledged that there are some constraints but stated that discussions are underway to resolve these issues.
The official explained that the overall South Korea-U.S. relationship is intertwined with various issues, including investment, information cooperation, and corporate matters. "We are working to develop the relationship while resolving various issues, tackling them one by one," the official said. They also clarified that concerns raised by the U.S. regarding corporate matters are not limited to Coupang. "There are issues involving not only Coupang but also companies like Google and Apple," the official noted, adding that discussions are ongoing regarding U.S. concerns related to fair trade, labor, and law enforcement.
The official stated, "It cannot be said that corporate issues do not affect other matters at all," but assured that discussions are being held to prevent law enforcement issues from spilling over into other areas. They clarified that the visa issues of some politicians are not seen as connected to South Korea-U.S. matters.
The official also revealed that the government is considering expanding the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit to include areas like Oman and deploying additional surveillance aircraft. However, they noted that specific operational areas and methods have not yet been determined, and that parliamentary consent is required for any expansion of mission areas.
The official stated, "We are examining how to contribute to international cooperation under the principle of independently commanding without engaging in war or combat," adding, "Given the high dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, it is difficult not to play any role in the international community."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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