USFK made no proposal to change combined command structure after Opcon transfer: Gov't

U.S. troops attend a ceremony on a U.S. base in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi, on July 6, 2023. [YONHAP]

Korea has received no proposal from the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to change its agreement to maintain the combined command structure after Seoul retakes wartime operational control (Opcon) from Washington, Seoul's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.

The Defense Ministry issued the comments after the Chosun Ilbo reported the USFK has conveyed concerns to Seoul that rushing the Opcon transition without fully meeting military requirements for the transfer would make it difficult for U.S. troops to operate under a Korean general's command, which the report said may lead to a dissolution of the allies' Combined Forces Command.

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Korea and the United States will retain the current Combined Forces Command structure after the Opcon transfer to maintain a robust combined defense posture," the Defense Ministry said.