Ex-U.S. diplomat says wartime OPCON transfer not end of S. Korea-U.S. alliance

Lead

A former U.S. ambassador to South Korea said Thursday that the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul from Washington does not mean "the end" of the bilateral alliance, even as officials on both sides acknowledge the transition poses challenges.

Kathleen Stephens, who served as ambassador from 2008 to 2011, spoke during a forum hosted by the Korea Economic Institute of America in Washington, offering a note of reassurance about a handover that has long been a subject of delicate negotiations between the allies.

Coverage Comparison

Two reports from Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading wire service, covered the forum, with both emphasizing Stephens' confidence in the allies' ability to navigate the OPCON transition. The reports also highlighted remarks by Philip Goldberg, the current U.S. ambassador to South Korea, who expressed concern that a set of alliance modernization issues could drive the allies apart "to some extent." Additionally, Goldberg pushed back against a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece that accused South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration of taking "a hard left turn against America."

Both reports underscored the broader context of ongoing discussions to "modernize" the decades-old alliance, including talks on greater operational flexibility for the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).

Key Claims

Stephens said, "It's not the end of the alliance if we have a change in the operational control," adding: "It depends on how that change is managed, but I think it can be managed, and perhaps this is the moment when sort of the stars align, if you like, and we come out with something that doesn't necessarily drive us apart." She noted that the time may be "ripe" for the handover.

The allies have been working on a conditions-based OPCON transition since they agreed on it in 2014. After the transfer, a South Korean general is to lead combined forces, with a U.S. general serving as deputy — a change that some critics say could weaken America's security commitment to its Asian ally.

Both Yonhap reports noted that the allies have been discussing a series of issues, including the OPCON transfer and greater operational flexibility for USFK, as they push to modernize the alliance to better adapt to the shifting security landscape. One report added that there is bipartisan backing and growing public support for the alliance in South Korea.

Stephens also characterized talk of "anti-Americanism" in Korea as "very anachronistic," a remark that appeared in one of the Yonhap reports.

Perspectives

Stephens expressed optimism about the alliance's future, framing the OPCON transition as a manageable step rather than a rupture. Goldberg, while acknowledging strains, pointed to opportunities for deepened cooperation, including in the defense industrial sector, and defended the current South Korean administration against accusations of anti-American tilt. Critics of the transfer, as referenced in the reports, worry it could dilute U.S. security commitments, though Stephens and Goldberg both suggested the alliance can adapt and even strengthen through cooperative efforts.