The day after the Pentagon released its National Defense Strategy, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby was dispatched to Seoul to discuss its implications for the U.S.-South Korea alliance. According to a statement issued by the South Korean Defense Ministry, Colby’s talks with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back included the transfer of wartime operational control and Seoul’s plans to pursue nuclear-powered submarines, reported Stars & Stripes.
Colby and Ahn discussed progress toward transferring wartime operational control of allied forces to South Korea in the event of a conflict on the peninsula. Ahn emphasized that the transfer is necessary for the South Korean military to take the lead in defending the country and called for close communication and cooperation to accelerate the process, the ministry said.
