S. Korea, US defense chiefs meet to advance OPCON transfer, submarine talks

South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Monday to advance talks on transferring wartime operational control to Seoul and on South Korea's development of nuclear-powered submarines.

The talks highlight a widening gap between Seoul's 2028 target and the U.S. military's proposed early 2029 timeline for OPCON transfer — a difference that could determine whether the handover takes place before President Trump leaves office.

South Korea handed over operational command during the 1950-53 Korean War and reclaimed peacetime OPCON in 1994, but wartime authority has since remained with the United States. Monday's session built on agreements reached at last year's Security Consultative Meeting, according to the Korea Times.

Seoul is pushing to complete the transfer before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ends in 2030, with 2028 as the working target, the Korea Times reported. But Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told Congress last month that the allies aim to meet the required conditions no later than the first quarter of 2029 — a date that falls after Trump's scheduled Jan. 20, 2029, departure from the White House.

Transfer conditions under a three-phase framework require South Korea to demonstrate it can lead combined forces, develop adequate strike and air defense capabilities, and satisfy broader regional security benchmarks.

Monday's talks also covered a May 4 incident in the Strait of Hormuz in which the HMM Namu, a South Korean-operated cargo vessel, suffered an explosion and fire. Seoul on Sunday determined that strikes by two unidentified flying objects caused the blast, the Korea Times reported. The South Korean government said it was "closely" reviewing participation in the U.S.-led Maritime Freedom Construct and pledged "all possible measures" to prevent a recurrence.

The nuclear submarine agenda stems from Trump's October 2025 approval — granted during a summit with President Lee — of South Korean development of nuclear-powered vessels. The two defense chiefs were expected to discuss how to move that program forward as well.

Both governments are expected to continue assessing transfer conditions within the joint framework agreed upon at last year's Security Consultative Meeting. For Seoul, the OPCON timeline has become a key benchmark for its broader push toward greater defense autonomy.