Seoul, Nov 29, : The US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be visiting Seoul this week to hold annual defense talks with his South Korean counterpart regarding the envisioned transfer wartime operational control (OPCON), North Korean threats and other issues. Austin will depart Washington on Tuesday to South Korea to attend the 53rd Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), which is scheduled for Thursday.
According to Yonhap news agency, it is the first SCM between Seoul’s Defence Minister Suh Wook (and Austin) since January’s inauguration of the Joe Biden administration.
The SCM is coming as Washington and Seoul have been increasing coordination to resume nuclear diplomacy and North Korea’s nuclear diplomacy despite indications that Pyongyang is increasing its nuclear and missile program.
The conditions-based wartime OPCON Transition is high on the agenda.After that, a four-star South Korean general will lead the allies’ combined force during wartime.
Currently, the US has wartime OPCON and the South has peacetime OPCON.
Both sides will discuss when and how they plan to conduct the full operational capability test (FOC) of the three-stage program that is designed to verify South Korea’s capabilities for the OPCON handover.
The initial operational capability (IOC), test was completed by allies in 2019.They have not yet completed the FOC test, which is the second part in the verification program.
The final part of the program is the full mission capability (FMC).
According to a Seoul official, the allies have been having discussions about the FOC test in an “very friendly” atmosphere.
These comments raised hopes for progress in the related consultations between the sides.
Austin and Suh will also discuss ways to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation, including the resumption the “Cyber Cooperation Working Group”, an apparatus that allies agreed to create years ago but have not fully activated due to administrative issues.
Space cooperation is another important topic.Washington has sought to rally its allies to promote the safe, sustainable use of outerspace amid signs of an arms race within the new security domain.
The secretary and the minister will also discuss ways to support ongoing diplomacy to encourage Pyongyang to return to dialogue and get the stalled efforts to achieve lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula on track.
The SCM will also allow the two sides to discuss the ongoing process of resolving US military bases at the Yongsan Garrison, central Seoul.
This will ensure that Seoul’s mega-project to build a national parks there can go ahead as planned.
The Pentagon stated in a press release last Wednesday that the SCM would be a platform for “both sides to pledge to continue developing the alliance — the linchpin to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia — in an mutually reinforcing manner and with a future-oriented approach.”
Austin and Suh will be attending the SCM, along with their top defence officials, such as Gen.Won In-choul, Chairman of Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen.Mark Milley, his US counterpart, as well Adm John C.Aquilino (head of the US Indo-Pacific Command) and Paul LaCamera (chief of the US Forces Korea).
Gen.Won, and Gen.Milley will meet on the eve for the 46th Military Committee Meeting, to discuss North Korea’s security situation and the defense posture of the allied troops.
On Wednesday, Suh will also be joining Austin at an annual alliance dinner hosted by the Korea Defence Veterans Association and the Korea-US Alliance Foundation.
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