South Korea aims to regain wartime command from US within Lee's term: Defence Minister nominee

Seoul, July 15 (IANS) South Korea's Defence Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back said on Tuesday the Lee Jae Myung government aims to take back the wartime command of the country's troops from the United States within Lee's five-year term.

Ahn made the remarks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing as South Korea seeks to retake it at a time when US President Donald Trump's administration has been urging Seoul and other allies to take on a greater security burden. Retaking wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington was among Lee's campaign pledges.

"Through a periodic evaluation between South Korea and the US since 2006, I believe our military has made considerable accomplishments through strenuous efforts," Ahn said, hinting that the South Korean military has made progress in meeting conditions for the transition.

Seoul and Washington have been working on the "conditions-based" OPCON transfer. Conditions include South Korea's capabilities to lead combined Korea-US forces, its strike and air defence capabilities, and a regional security environment conducive to such a handover.

The OPCON transfer was supposed to occur in 2015 but was postponed, as the allies agreed in 2014 to a conditions-based handover -- rather than a timeline-based one -- due to Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile threats.

Ahn pledged to militarily support the government's push to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula and mend strained ties with North Korea.

The minister nominee emphasised the importance of leaving doors open for engagement with the North.

"While establishing deterrence based on immense military power, a door for dialogue to ease tension and build trust should be left open," Ahn said, vowing to seek "strength-based" and "sustainable" peace.

Still, he stated North Korea remains South Korea's "main enemy," and that combined drills between South Korea and the US should continue.

"Our main enemy is North Korea, since the North has vigilantly sought to target us since the Korean War," Ahn said.

"As a country that is rooted in a South Korea-US combined defence system, drills should take place in any case."

Ahn's remarks drew a contrast from Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young, who said Monday he does not agree with the view that North Korea is South Korea's main enemy and called for a review of scaling down combined drills.

The defence minister nominee also called for a "phased" approach to restoring an inter-Korean military tension reduction pact, saying steps should be carried out "gradually."

Ahn, a five-term lawmaker who is the first civilian defence chief to be nominated in 64 years as defence minister, also vowed to rebuild the military into one that is trusted by the people.

If appointed, Ahn will succeed former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who stands trial over allegedly playing a key role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition on December 3.

"What we should do now is to correct the former administration's mistake over its illegal martial law imposition ... and firmly establish civilian control so the military is not used as a private means for (people in) power," he said, calling for the military to adhere to political neutrality.

Ahn noted the military faces an array of challenges, ranging from uncertainties in the global security order and changes in warfare stemming from the development of cutting-edge technology, Yonhap news agency reported.

He also mentioned how North Korea's continued nuclear and missile development and deepening strategic alignment among North Korea, China and Russia are ramping up tensions in Northeast Asia.

Against such a backdrop, Ahn vowed to strengthen a defence cooperation network based on the South Korea-US alliance and trilateral cooperation, also involving Japan.

--IANS

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