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| ▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back inspects military readiness posture aboard an airborne early warning aircraft on Jan. 1, 2026, in this photo provided by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
defense chief-New Year message
Defense chief urges 'thorough' preparations for transfer of wartime operational control from U.S.
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Friday urged service members to "thoroughly" prepare for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, as the country seeks to complete the second phase of assessment for the condition-based transfer this year.
Ahn's remarks came as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to achieve OPCON transfer before the end of its five-year term in 2030.
In a New Year's message posted on Facebook, Ahn said the verification of the Full Operational Capability (FOC) marks a "grave process" to ensure South Korea has the practical capabilities to lead the security on the Korean Peninsula. FOC refers to the second part of a three-stage program to assess Seoul's capabilities to lead the allies' combined forces for the retake of OPCON.
"I call on the troops to clearly recognize the national significance and generational sense of duty that lies in the restoration of wartime operational control, and to thoroughly brace for the (process) in a unified mindset," Ahn said in the statement to service members and ministry personnel.
The South Korean military aims to complete the second phase of verification by the next annual defense chiefs' meeting between the two countries scheduled for November.
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