Minister of National Defense candidate Ahn Kyu-baek stated during a National Defense Committee personnel hearing on the 15th that he intends to finalize the transfer of wartime operational control during the term of the Lee Jae-myung administration. In response, the presidential office clarified that this is a personal opinion of the candidate.
Candidate Ahn responded to a question from People Power Party member Yoon Sang-hyun on that day, asking, 'What do you consider the timeframe for the transfer of wartime operational control?' In response to the inquiry about how much defense spending would increase if the transfer took place, he said, 'There may be differences depending on the research, but I estimate it would be around 21 trillion won.' However, during the afternoon inquiry, he stated, '21 trillion won is just one opinion; the military has not calculated a specific budget.'
Candidate Ahn also replied to a question from Democratic Party of Korea member Hwang Hee regarding his views on the transfer of wartime operational control, stating, 'Since 2006, through agreements with the U.S., we have achieved significant results through the diligent efforts of our military.' The significant results seem to indicate that the efforts of the Korean military to meet the conditions for transferring wartime operational control are progressing.
In an afternoon inquiry, candidate Ahn addressed the concern raised by National Defense Committee Chairman Sung Il-jong that transfer of wartime operational control could lead to issues with deterrence against North Korea. He assured, 'I am confident that the transfer of wartime operational control will neither weaken nor incapacitate the Korea-U.S. alliance system.' He added, 'It is not something that can simply be obtained by wanting to take back wartime operational control. Conditions need to be met, and various evaluations and verifications must occur, for which our military has made tremendous efforts.'
Wartime operational control refers to the authority to lead and control military operations in wartime situations. After former President Rhee Syng-man transferred command of the Korean military to the United Nations Commander, the U.S. military has held this authority. Since 1978, the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Commander has exercised related authority.
The transfer of wartime operational control was agreed upon by South Korea and the United States in November 2006 during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, to be completed by April 2012. However, during the Lee Myung-bak administration, the transfer was delayed to December 2015, and during the Park Geun-hye administration, no specific timing was set, agreeing to transfer when the conditions were met.
However, presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jeong stated during a briefing that candidate Ahn's mention of the 'goal of transferring wartime operational control during President Lee's term' is 'a personal opinion as a candidate.' She remarked, 'Setting a timeframe or deadline, such as 'within five years,' is not something that the presidential office is considering at all.' She added, 'The issue of reverting wartime operational control has been a problem that past administrations have also grappled with.'