South Korea’s defense minister nominee vowed Tuesday to push for the long-delayed transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the U.S. within President Lee Jae-myung’s term — a move that could reshape the ROK’s defense posture against North Korean threats.
Speaking at his confirmation hearing before the National Assembly’s defense committee, Ahn also identified the DPRK as the South’s “enemy” and emphasized the importance of continuing joint military drills with the U.S., sharply contrasting with the positions put forward by Lee’s nominee for unification minister the previous day.