South Korea and the United States announced Wednesday that they will postpone their annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) to early 2027, after bilateral talks between Defence Minister Kang Shin‑chul and U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of a regional defence ministers' meeting in the Philippines.
Yonhap reported that the decision was reached after “significant friction over the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul.” The allies had planned to hold the 58th SCM in late October or early November, but the Seoul defence ministry confirmed that the meeting would now convene in early 2027. It also said that the two sides will meet again in Washington in December for additional discussions.
In a joint statement, the defence ministry said that Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the OPCON transition and that the parties agreed to work closely to ensure a smooth and timely handover. The ministry added that it sees the SCM as a “key platform” for the allies to host the historic meeting and to cooperate on the transition.
“Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition, and the minister and the secretary agreed to work closely to ensure a smooth and timely OPCON transfer,” the ministry said in the release.
Seoul has pressed for full wartime organisational‑control before the end of President Lee Jae‑myung’s 2030 term. The move would set a target year for the transition at the upcoming meeting, officials said. Washington, meanwhile, has expressed reservations about rushing the process, citing the need to meet the conditions agreed upon by the allies, chief among them the requirement that South Korea possess core capabilities to lead combined forces when the handover occurs.
According to the ministry, the two sides are currently verifying South Korea’s “full operational capability” (FOC), the second stage of a three‑phase, conditions‑based OPCON transition plan. While Seoul officials say the requirements have been met, U.S. Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has stated that “the conditions have yet to be fully satisfied”. The December Washington talks aim to review the verification of FOC and to address any remaining gaps.
In a separate statement, the Korean foreign ministry said that the postponement was also prompted by “the need for further preparation following recent changes to joint military exercises.” It added that the meeting, originally scheduled for 27–28 February 2027, would now run in early 2027 to realign the conversation with upcoming defence strategy reviews.
Both sets of statements confirm that the allies are leaning toward a repositioning of the annual dialogue, but the exact month of the early‑2027 meeting has not yet been set. Analysts note that the delay signals the complexities of coordinating a full transfer of wartime command authority while maintaining deterrence against North Korea.
The postponement also raises questions about how the U.S. and South Korea will maintain the pace of the wider alliance agenda, including missile‑defence cooperation and joint naval patrols, amid the changing timing of the SCM. The upcoming December talks in Washington are expected to shed light on whether both sides agree that the core operational thresholds have been achieved.
Some observers point out that moving the SCM could have diplomatic repercussions within the U.S. legislative sphere, where certain lawmakers have expressed skepticism about the OPCON transition. Seoul’s defence ministry said its remarks were aimed at countering such doubts, stressing the value of the “U.S. trust” that has underpinned the alliance for decades.
With the 2026–27 security cycle unfolding, U.S. and Seoul officials will likely rely on the December talks in Washington to cement a shared understanding on the conditions for full wartime operational control. The outcome will determine whether the early‑2027 meeting can even take place, and whether the alliance will move forward without further postponements.
