The chairs of the Korea-U.S. the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) assessed that there has been "meaningful progress" in meeting the conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON).
Jin Yong-sung, chair of Korea's the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and John Daniel Kain, chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, held the 50th Korea-U.S. Military Committee Meeting (MCM) on the 3rd at the Ministry of National Defense's the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Yongsan, Seoul. John Daniel Kain's visit to Korea comes about three months after the Korea-U.S.-Japan JCS chairs' meeting in July.
The MCM is convened annually or as needed to provide strategic direction and operational guidance for the defense of the Republic of Korea to the Combined Forces Command and to discuss allied military issues between the two countries. Representing Korea were Chair Jin and Son Jeong-hwan, director of strategic planning at the JCS, and representing the United States were JCS Chair Kain, Indo-Pacific Command Commander Samuel Paparo, and Combined Forces Command Commander Xavier Brunson on behalf of the Combined Forces Command.
In a joint press release, they said they "shared the view that there has been meaningful progress in many areas of the annual assessment conducted under the conditions-based OPCON transition criteria," adding that they "will continue efforts to meet the OPCON transition conditions and strengthen the combined defense posture." Whether the OPCON transition conditions are met is assessed through Korea-U.S. combined exercises such as "Ulchi Freedom Shield" (UFS), and this year's assessment saw meaningful progress.
The Korea-U.S. JCS chairs also said they "agreed to strengthen the alliance's capabilities, interoperability, and combined defense posture to proactively respond to the rapidly changing security environment and diverse threats," and that they "will continue consultations to reinforce the combined defense posture and modernize the alliance." They further assessed that the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region is complex and unstable due to the advancement of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and the intensifying global military power competition.
They also agreed that the Korea-U.S. alliance contributes to deterrence across the region beyond the Korean Peninsula, and reaffirmed deterrence against potential adversaries and cooperation with allied and partner nations. In line with the guidelines of the Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), they will continue to develop the concept of combined nuclear-conventional integration (CNI) and further advance Korea-U.S. CNI activities to enhance deterrence against the North Korean nuclear threat.
The results of the meeting are to be reported at the 57th Korea-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) to be held in Seoul on the 4th with Minister Ahn Gyu-baek of the Ministry of National Defense and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in attendance.
Meanwhile, Chair Jin and Chair Kain, who met in person for the first time on the occasion of this meeting, are both former air force four-star generals. After the MCM concluded, the two JCS chairs led a combined formation flight aboard South Korean and U.S. fighter jets at Osan Air Base. Jin boarded a South Korean KF-16 fighter, and Kain boarded a U.S. Forces Korea F-16 fighter.
An official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, "Korea and the United States will develop alliance issues in a future-oriented manner through close cooperation."