ROK Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back to Visit US, Wartime Operational Control and Nuclear Submarines Under Focus
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back will visit the United States from May 10th to 14th, where the transfer of wartime operational control and nuclear submarine cooperation will be key topics. This visit takes place amidst numerous pending issues between South Korea and the US, and is keenly watched as a potential turning point for the alliance.
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- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 13:04
- 🔍 Collected: May 9, 2026 at 13:31 (26 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 9, 2026 at 13:54 (22 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Yang Chi-fang, Seoul, May 9th) South Korea's Ministry of National Defense announced today that Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back will visit the United States from May 10th to 14th, marking his first visit to the U.S. since taking office in July last year. According to a Ministry of National Defense official, the transfer of wartime operational control and nuclear submarines will be major topics of discussion.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back's visit to the United States comes at a time when South Korea and the U.S. have divergent opinions on various issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control. He is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Washington on May 11th, local time, and will also meet with the Acting Secretary of the Navy, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and other U.S. government and congressional officials.
A Ministry of National Defense official stated that Ahn Kyu-back's visit to the U.S. is for high-level direct communication regarding the implementation of follow-up measures for the ROK-U.S. summit and ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). "The transfer of wartime operational control and nuclear-powered submarines will be major topics of discussion."
The report points out that the timing of Ahn Kyu-back's visit is receiving close attention as it occurs amidst a backlog of sensitive issues between South Korea and the U.S., including the transfer of operational control, cooperation in nuclear-powered submarine construction, the Strait of Hormuz issue, and U.S. restrictions on sharing satellite intelligence with North Korea.
At last year's ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), both sides agreed to establish a timetable for the transfer of wartime operational control and to negotiate the completion of the second phase of the three-phase verification process within this year. However, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier T. Brunson recently proposed the first quarter of 2029 as a target, which differs from South Korea's target of 2028.
In addition, issues such as cooperation in nuclear-powered submarine construction, agreed upon in the Joint Fact Sheet between South Korea and the U.S. last year, have been slow to accelerate due to recent controversies involving Coupang. Furthermore, recent U.S. requests for South Korea to contribute to restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz have further deepened the South Korean government's concerns.
The report notes that it remains to be seen whether this direct face-to-face meeting between the defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. can bring a turning point to the ROK-U.S. alliance. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150509
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(Central News Agency reporter Yang Chi-fang, Seoul, May 9th) South Korea's Ministry of National Defense announced today that Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back will visit the United States from May 10th to 14th, marking his first visit to the U.S. since taking office in July last year. According to a Ministry of National Defense official, the transfer of wartime operational control and nuclear submarines will be major topics of discussion.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back's visit to the United States comes at a time when South Korea and the U.S. have divergent opinions on various issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control. He is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Washington on May 11th, local time, and will also meet with the Acting Secretary of the Navy, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and other U.S. government and congressional officials.
A Ministry of National Defense official stated that Ahn Kyu-back's visit to the U.S. is for high-level direct communication regarding the implementation of follow-up measures for the ROK-U.S. summit and ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). "The transfer of wartime operational control and nuclear-powered submarines will be major topics of discussion."
The report points out that the timing of Ahn Kyu-back's visit is receiving close attention as it occurs amidst a backlog of sensitive issues between South Korea and the U.S., including the transfer of operational control, cooperation in nuclear-powered submarine construction, the Strait of Hormuz issue, and U.S. restrictions on sharing satellite intelligence with North Korea.
At last year's ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), both sides agreed to establish a timetable for the transfer of wartime operational control and to negotiate the completion of the second phase of the three-phase verification process within this year. However, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Xavier T. Brunson recently proposed the first quarter of 2029 as a target, which differs from South Korea's target of 2028.
In addition, issues such as cooperation in nuclear-powered submarine construction, agreed upon in the Joint Fact Sheet between South Korea and the U.S. last year, have been slow to accelerate due to recent controversies involving Coupang. Furthermore, recent U.S. requests for South Korea to contribute to restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz have further deepened the South Korean government's concerns.
The report notes that it remains to be seen whether this direct face-to-face meeting between the defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. can bring a turning point to the ROK-U.S. alliance. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150509
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.