Wartime OPCON transfer seen as key leverage for S. Korea at Lee-Trump summit

The transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of the military from Washington to Seoul could become a key bargaining chip for President Lee Jae Myung during his upcoming summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, diplomatic observers say. Their advice comes as the two leaders are scheduled to hold their first meeting in Washington next Monday (local time), a summit that could reshape the security architecture of the decades-old alliance. Seoul has been under pressure from the Trump administration to shoulder a larger share of the defense burden, which could mean boosting its defense spending in addition to increasing its financial contributions for the stationing of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). The role of these American troops, particularly if their mission will be expanded to countering China, is also expected to be near the top of the agenda. As Korea considers how to counter Trump's costly demands and decide what leverage it can bring to the table, experts said that accelerating the OPCON transfer is a potentially useful approach for Lee, who has pledged to complete the OPCON transWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times