U.S., South Korea Reach Agreement for Wartime Control of Forces

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2014 - Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Korean Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo met at the Pentagon today for the 46th Security Consultative Meeting.

At the meeting, they agreed to implement South Korea's proposal for a conditions-based approach to transferring wartime control of allied forces, known as operational control, or OPCON, to ensure the combined defense posture remains strong and seamless, defense officials announced.

South Korea was scheduled to take wartime control by the end of 2015; now the transfer will focus on South Korea achieving critical defensive capabilities against an intensifying North Korean threat. Therefore, no new date for transferring OPCON will be set, officials said.

Planners from the U.S and South Korea will create a new base plan that will replace the Strategic Alliance 2015 Base Plan by the 47th Security Consultative Meeting.

A link to the full text of the joint communiqué can be found below.