South Korea to press ahead with wartime operational control transfer from US
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "South Korea to press ahead with wartime operational control transfer from US")
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Korean Liberation Day in Seoul on August 15, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says Seoul will proceed with the wartime operational control transfer from US forces despite Trump’s call to reduce joint military drills.
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday said that Seoul would proceed without disruption to finalise the transfer of wartime operational control from the US four-star general leading the Combined Forces Command. He also added that joint military drills between the US and South Korea are defensive in nature and do not reflect an intention to attack North Korea or escalate tension on the Korean Peninsula.
The issue dates back to the Korean War, when the two sides signed an armistice instead of a formal peace treaty in 1953, meaning the two Korean sides technically remain at war. South Korea have been hosting US troops ever since. It is home to Camp Humphreys, the largest American military base outside the US. The two militaries train and operate together closely, including through large-scale annual exercises such as this week’s. The authority to direct South Korean forces has remained with the US command since then, if the war resumes.
Seoul regained peacetime control of its military in 1994, but wartime control has remained with the US and reclaiming it has become a symbol of national sovereignty and one of the foremost security goals.
“A strong alliance makes the foundation of security stronger, and strengthening our own capabilities increases our value and necessity as an ally,” said Lee in a cabinet meeting describing the alliance as mutually reinforcing.
The response from Seoul, as per Yonhap, came after President Trump on Sunday ordered the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, calling them "costly" and sending a "hostile signal" to Pyongyang.
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During the briefing at the Oval Office, Trump said that the North Korean leader has responded to his order to the Pentagon but did not provide details. "You see, I’m actually making it much safer. Kim Jong-un has always treated me with great respect,” he said. “I understand him. He understands me.”
Trump has previously suspended major US-South Korean military exercises in pursuit of diplomacy with Kim in 2018.
