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6d ago

U.S. and South Korea Advance Submarine Cooperation, Eye Faster OPCON Transfer Under New Defense Strategy

The Pentagon’s new strategy places more responsibility on Seoul, reflecting Washington’s push for greater allied burden-sharing.

The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Courtesy Ken Scar/U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS
US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby (R, with South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back) hailed Seoul as a 'model ally'
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Overview

  • During a first overseas trip to Seoul, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby met South Korea’s foreign and defense ministers and called the country a “model ally” for pledging 3.5% of GDP on defense.
  • Both governments said they agreed to deepen cooperation on South Korea’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines, with working-level steps to translate summit commitments into concrete programs still to be defined.
  • The 2026 National Defense Strategy states South Korea should take the primary role in deterring North Korea with critical but more limited U.S. support, signaling a recalibration of alliance roles.
  • Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back urged faster progress on the transfer of wartime operational control and proposed a roadmap, while reporting suggests verification milestones could enable an accelerated timeline if both sides concur.
  • Key implementation questions remain unresolved, including where the submarines would be built—an issue on which President Lee favors domestic construction and President Trump has said the vessels should be built in the United States—and any forthcoming U.S. force-posture adjustments pending a Global Posture Review.