U.S. Forces to Resist Foreign Command...Operational Plan to Be Revised

Even if a South Korean general assumes command of the future Combined Forces Command (CFC) following the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON), the U.S. military will exercise operational control only over specific units designated in the Combined Operations Plan, adhering to the principle that U.S. forces do not fall under foreign command.

Under the future CFC structure, a South Korean general will serve as commander and a U.S. general as deputy commander, replacing the current CFC’s structure. However, the South Korean commander will exercise OPCON only over specific U.S. forces designated in the operations plan, while the U.S. will retain authority over the remaining troops.

This issue of limitations on U.S. command authority is the background behind the shift in 2018 from a previously agreed-upon parallel structure to an integrated structure. While the February 2007 agreement under the Roh Moo-hyun administration adopted a South Korean-led parallel structure after the dissolution of the CFC, the agreement was changed under the Moon Jae-in administration in 2018 with the signing of the 'Guidelines for Combined Defense after Wartime OPCON Transition' to form a future CFC similar to the current integrated model.