Ahn Gyu-baek, the Minister of National Defense, on the 14th ordered the push for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), a reorganization of the future force structure, the acquisition of advanced weapons, and support for defense industry exports through a briefing on the work of external agencies and public institutions under the Ministry of National Defense.
The Minister said at the briefing, which included 13 agencies such as the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, the Military Manpower Administration, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality (DTaQ), "Communication is the most important virtue in running an organization," and added, "This is a venue where the Ministry of National Defense, external agencies, and public institutions communicate closely beyond bureaucratic silos."
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it will accelerate the push for conditions-based OPCON transfer this year. The transfer goes through three stages of evaluation and verification: ▲ initial operational capability (IOC) ▲ full operational capability (FOC) ▲ full mission capability (FMC). The Ministry of National Defense aims to complete verification of stage two, FOC, by November this year. The ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command explained it is preparing organizational and facility upgrades and personnel reinforcement to ready the "future combined command" that will be established after the full transfer of OPCON.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) presented plans such as transferring operational control of the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions, which are key to a quasi–four-branch system for the Marine Corps. Under this quasi–four-branch system, the Marine Corps would remain under the Navy as it is now, but the Marine Corps commandant's authority over command and supervision would be expanded. Currently, the 1st Division, the Marine Corps' core force, is under the operational control of the Army's 2nd Operations Command, and the 2nd Division is under the Army Capital Corps.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration set out a vision to "leap into the world's top four defense exporters." Specifically, it said it will focus on five areas as key tasks: securing technology through innovation in research and development, localizing supply chains and parts, strengthening exports and cooperation, and fostering small and venture firms in defense. The agency's budget for this year is 19.9653 trillion won. That is up 11.9% from the 2025 main budget (17.8462 trillion won. By item, defense research and development is 5.8396 trillion won, weapons system procurement and mass production is 13.3471 trillion won, and defense industrial promotion is 533.9 billion won.
The Korea Research Institute for defense Technology planning and advancement (KRIT) presented as this year's key tasks the securing of technologies for manned-unmanned teaming systems and space power, the development of advanced materials and the advancement of supply chains, and the securing of defense artificial intelligence (AI)–based technologies. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) reported a strategy to build a strong military based on AI and advanced technologies. It said research will focus on wartime strategy AI and future-war response technologies such as quantum, and that investment is needed in high-risk, high-difficulty technology areas that are nationally necessary even if they have low economic feasibility.