South Korean Government Denies Report of Discussions on OPCON Transfer
This would seem to make sense that if the Trump administration wants to turn USFK into more of a regional defense force that OPCON should be transferred to the ROK:
South Korea’s presidential office dismissed speculation that wartime operational control (Opcon) is being discussed in ongoing trade and security talks with the United States, as political tensions flare over a potential “package deal” ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Aug. 1 tariff deadline.
With fewer than 20 days remaining until the Trump-imposed tariff timeline, the Lee Jae Myung administration moved to shut down political controversy surrounding the transfer of Opcon.
Opcon refers to the authority to command combined U.S. and South Korean forces in wartime. Under the current system, a U.S. general heading the Combined Forces Command leads both militaries in the event of a major conflict with North Korea.
Once Opcon transfers, a South Korean general would command the future Combined Forces Command.
You can read more at the link, but what is interesting about the OPCON topic is that the Korean left has long sought this. Now that there is a U.S. adminstration willing to give it to them the Lee administration is backpeddaling from the negotiations.
once they get control, there is less need for American troops and the dollars they bring in, directly and indirectly…
Not quite. OPCON transfer has been banned by the Trump administration.
South Korea also knows it’s not going to give in to US blackmail for $10 billion, so there’s a high likelihood that the US troops will be packing up soon. No need to push for something when things are going to clear up on its own soon. Let the US side do what they are threatening to do, and that will give less ammos to the Korean Right-wing against the government. The Korean public is firmly against throwing more money, and an endless amount of money for fewer than 28,000 US troops.