S. Korean minister to visit US amid allied disagreements
Credit: Newsis
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back will travel to the United States despite apparent disagreements between the two countries on several alliance matters, including the proposed transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul.
Seoul's defense ministry said on Saturday that Ahn is scheduled to make his first trip to the U.S. since taking office between Sunday and Thursday, during which he plans to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Monday, local time, News.Az reports, citing KBS World.
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An official in Seoul said Ahn will seek a direct high-level communication to check up on follow-ups to last year's summit meetings and the allies' security policy consultation and that the OPCON and Seoul's push to build nuclear-powered submarines are likely to be included on the agenda.
Last month, U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson told a House committee that the allies aim to meet the conditions for the OPCON transfer by the first quarter of 2029.
However, the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to complete the transition by 2028.
By Ulviyya Salmanli
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