Lee accelerates Opcon transfer after Trump cuts drills
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- Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday renewed his push to transfer wartime operational control (Opcon) of South Korean forces from the US during his presidency, calling the US alliance and independent defense "mutually reinforcing" at a cabinet meeting.
- Donald Trump on Sunday ordered the Pentagon to "substantially reduce" the 10-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills that began Monday, claiming North Korea "has been unthreatening and respectful" and that he has a "very good relationship with Kim Jong-un."
- Lee also called for faster progress on South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine programme and on developing officers capable of integrated operations for future conflicts.
- The curtailed Ulchi Freedom Shield drills were specifically meant to help certify South Korea's readiness for Opcon transfer and were expected to involve about 18,000 South Korean troops alongside US forces and personnel from 11 of 18 United Nations Command member states.
- North Korean troops deployed to Russia's war in Ukraine have returned with new battlefield tactics—especially in drones—that US and South Korean officials said forced this year's drills to be redesigned to account for that threat.
- North Korea and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership pact in June 2024, under which Pyongyang is providing troops, artillery ammunition and ballistic missiles to support Moscow's war effort, according to US and South Korean assessments cited in the article.
Why it matters: Wartime Opcon transfer has been a South Korean security goal for over two decades and repeatedly delayed; Trump's mid-exercise cut now forces Lee to frame the alliance and independent capability as "mutually reinforcing," pushing Opcon transfer and nuclear-sub development simultaneously rather than choosing between them.
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