According to the Ministry of National Defense on May 10, An will meet with high-ranking officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, until May 14. This marks An's first visit to the U.S. since taking office in July 2022.
An will hold talks with Hegseth in Washington, D.C., on May 11 (local time) and is also scheduled to meet with the acting Secretary of the Navy, the chair and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and other U.S. government and congressional officials.
This visit comes as sensitive issues between the two countries have accumulated, including the transfer of wartime operational control, cooperation on the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and limitations on U.S. satellite intelligence sharing regarding North Korea.
The Yoon Suk-yeol administration is pushing for the transfer of wartime operational control as a national agenda, aiming for a target year of 2028 before the current U.S. administration's term ends.
During the Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held last year, the two defense ministers agreed to establish a roadmap for meeting the conditions for the transfer of operational control, with plans to complete the verification process for the second stage of conditions by the end of this year.
However, recent comments by U.S. Forces Korea Commander Javier Brunson during a congressional hearing indicated a potential timeline of the first quarter of 2029, highlighting a difference in perspectives.
Additionally, cooperation on the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, as agreed upon by the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. in a joint fact sheet last year, has been slow to progress amid negative repercussions from the Coupang issue.
During his visit, An is also expected to meet with the acting Secretary of the Navy, where discussions on the nuclear submarine issue are anticipated.
Coinciding with An's visit, a meeting of the Integrated Defense Consultative Body (KIDD), comprising deputy defense officials from both countries, will take place in Washington, D.C., on May 12-13.
Last month, South Korea's chief representative for North Korean diplomacy, Jeong Yeon-du, and security strategy secretary Cho Hyun-woo visited Washington, D.C.
A Ministry of National Defense official stated that An's visit aims to facilitate direct communication among high-level officials regarding the implementation of agreements from the Korea-U.S. summit and the SCM, emphasizing that wartime operational control and nuclear-powered submarines will be key topics of discussion.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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