On Oct. 28, 2026, Seoul’s defense ministry announced that South Korea and the United States will postpone their annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) to early 2027 after bilateral talks between Defense Minister Kang Shin‑chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a regional defense ministers’ meeting in Cebu, Philippines.
The decision followed discussions over the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul, a point of friction between the allies. The two sides also agreed to hold another round of defense‑ministerial talks in Washington in December to verify South Korea’s readiness for wartime OPCON.
The SCM, typically convened in late October or early November, had been widely expected to occur in December this year but will now be scheduled for early 2027. Seoul aims to regain wartime OPCON before the Lee Jae Myung administration’s five‑year term ends in 2030, while Washington has expressed reservations about rushing the process for political reasons, emphasizing that ahead of the handover the Allies must meet specific conditions and capabilities.
The postponement underscores the importance both countries place on the orderly transition of operational control and reflects their ongoing efforts to coordinate future joint exercises and strategic planning.
