South Korea, US agree to cooperate on key alliance issues for 'mutual security interest'

SEOUL: South Korea and the United States have agreed to work together to strengthen cooperation in areas of "mutual security interest," including Seoul's push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington and joint efforts to modernise the alliance.

Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed the commitments during their talks at the Pentagon on Monday (US time) as Seoul seeks to regain wartime command from the US as part of broader efforts to build a more self-reliant defense.

"Both the secretary and the minister agreed to remain in close contact and further cooperation in areas of mutual security interest," according to a joint readout released by the Pentagon.

"The two leaders also discussed key alliance issues, including wartime operational control transition and alliance modernisation, and resolved to strengthen cooperation moving forward," it said.

President Donald Trump's administration has stressed increased burden-sharing for allies and called on Seoul to take primary responsibility to deter North Korea with "critical but more limited" US support.

The talks came amid apparent differences between the two sides, after US Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson told Congress last month that the allies aim to meet the conditions for the OPCON transfer by no later than the first quarter of 2029.

Seoul is reportedly targeting 2028 for the OPCON transfer, while both presidents are still in office, indicating that the two sides may have different timelines for the transition.

During the talks, the defence chiefs "reaffirmed the important role" of the Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD), a key bilateral consultation platform handling the wartime OPCON issue, to "advance alliance cooperation and both countries' national interests," the readout said.