South Korea’s New Defense Chief Aims to Reclaim Wartime Control from the U.S.

President Lee Jae Myung’s nominee for defense chief, Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Ahn Gyu-back, declared Tuesday that reclaiming wartime operational control of South Korean forces from the U.S.-led combined command is a key objective for the Lee administration.

“We’re targeting the completion of the wartime OPCON transition within President Lee’s term,” Ahn stated during a National Assembly confirmation hearing, responding to an inquiry from People Power Party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun.

When questioned about the projected defense spending increase following South Korea’s assumption of full wartime OPCON, Ahn estimated, “Depending on the analysis, it’s likely around 21 trillion KRW (approximately 15.75 billion USD).”

Regaining wartime control of South Korean forces was one of Lee’s campaign pledges and has long been a priority for the Democratic Party.

Former President Moon Jae-in, also from the Democratic Party, had previously sought to reclaim wartime control authority, arguing it would reduce South Korea’s dependence on the U.S. for national defense.

During the hearing, Ahn firmly rejected the possibility of South Korea developing nuclear latent capabilities, which would involve possessing the technology and infrastructure to build nuclear weapons without actually owning them.

Ahn emphasized the importance of maintaining constant vigilance towards North Korea.

“North Korea’s stance hasn’t changed since the Korean War. We must always approach the North with caution, regardless of which administration is in power, while remembering they are still our compatriots,” he asserted.

Ahn’s Tuesday statements build upon his earlier interview with The Korea Herald on April 24, when he served as chief special adviser to then-presidential candidate Lee and was widely speculated to be the top choice for defense chief.

In that interview, Ahn argued that South Korea should have complete control over its military in both peacetime and wartime. He criticized the current reliance on the U.S. for defense, stating it was turning South Korea’s armed forces into a “mommy’s boy.”

Ahn also firmly stated in the interview that South Korea withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop nuclear capabilities was not an option under consideration.