Ex-US envoy says OPCON transfer won't end South Korea alliance

A former U.S. ambassador to South Korea said the planned transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul will not end the bilateral alliance, expressing confidence the transition can be managed without weakening the partnership.

The remarks come as Washington and Seoul work to modernize their decades-old security partnership, including discussions over greater operational flexibility for the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea — a restructuring some critics warn could diminish America's commitment to the peninsula.

Kathleen Stephens, who served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea from 2008 to 2011, addressed concerns about the OPCON handover at a forum hosted by the Korea Economic Institute of America in Washington. "It's not the end of the alliance if we have a change in the operational control," Stephens said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

She acknowledged the weight of the structural shift but struck a cautiously optimistic tone. "It depends on how that change is managed, but I think it can be managed, and perhaps this is the moment when sort of the stars align, if you like, and we come out with something that doesn't necessarily drive us apart," Stephens said.

The allies have been working on a conditions-based OPCON transition since 2014. Under the envisioned structure, a South Korean general would lead combined forces while a U.S. general serves as deputy — a reversal of the current command arrangement. The forum also addressed expanding the strategic flexibility of U.S. Forces Korea to counter broader regional threats.

Stephens framed the central challenge as one of mutual confidence. "We can address these things, but underlying is ... do we come out of it with a greater sense of confidence and trust about the commitment," she said, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Philip Goldberg, who served as U.S. ambassador to Seoul from 2022 to 2025, offered a favorable assessment of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's understanding of what is at stake. "He's a very good politician, as was shown again in the elections yesterday, and he understands the value of the alliance with the U.S., especially the nuclear umbrella," Goldberg said. Goldberg also noted the modernization discussions could, without careful handling, move the allies apart to some extent.

Both former envoys expressed confidence the alliance is resilient enough to absorb structural change, provided the transition keeps mutual trust at the center of every decision.