Seoul, 15 October, 2026 (Ghufran): South Korea’s Defence Ministry spokesperson has warned that repeatedly changing the requirements for transferring wartime operational control from the United States could make the handover impossible. Speaking at a regular news briefing on Thursday, spokesperson Jeong Bit-na said in her personal capacity that if the conditions continued to change, the transfer might never take place. However, she clarified that her remarks did not represent the ministry’s official position, emphasizing that Seoul and Washington remained committed to their mutually agreed conditions-based transition plan. Her comments followed remarks by US Forces Korea commander General Xavier Brunson, who said that changes in the security environment and operational plans had led to new standards for completing the transfer. Speaking at an event in Washington, Brunson cited North Korea’s recent missile launches as evidence of evolving security challenges. He expressed support for transferring wartime operational control but stressed that agreed requirements and essential military capabilities must not be overlooked.

South Korean media have reported that Seoul is targeting 2028 for the handover, while Brunson told a US congressional hearing in April that the American military had submitted a roadmap aimed at meeting the necessary conditions by early 2029. Media reports citing military sources have also suggested that Washington believes South Korea has yet to complete the Full Operational Capability verification, the second of three stages in the transition process. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to complete the transfer before his five-year presidential term ends in 2030. South Korea regained peacetime operational control in 1994, but command of allied forces during wartime remains under the US-led Combined Forces Command. The issue has remained a longstanding defence priority for successive South Korean governments amid continuing security concerns over North Korea.