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South Korean Protection Minister Ahn Gyu-back shakes arms with US Undersecretary of Protection Elbridge Colby throughout their assembly on the Protection Ministry in Seoul on Jan. 26, 2026. (courtesy of the MND)
Throughout conferences in Seoul with Korean International Minister Cho Hyun and Protection Minister Ahn Gyu-back, US Undersecretary of Protection for Coverage Elbridge Colby shared his opinions about main issues associated to the 2 international locations’ alliance, such because the handover of wartime operational management (OCPON) of South Korean forces and cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines.
Colby used his go to to Korea to precise his assist for the precept of South Korea taking the lead on the standard protection of the Korean Peninsula, main some to foretell that progress on the return of OPCON will speed up.
In a press briefing on Monday, Korea’s Ministry of International Affairs stated that Colby had described Korea as a “mannequin ally” and praised its dedication to proceed taking part in a number one function within the protection of the Korean Peninsula by strengthening its army capabilities.
Throughout the assembly, Cho reportedly emphasised the significance of bilateral cooperation and working-level negotiations to border a concrete motion plan for creating nuclear-powered submarines as agreed throughout final 12 months’s Korea-US summit.
Transferring ahead with the return of OPCON to place the South Korean army accountable for the protection of the Korean Peninsula was a serious merchandise on the agenda of Colby’s assembly with Ahn, the Korean protection minister.
“Ahn requested the US for extra communication and cooperation on the OPCON switch, together with the event of a roadmap for extra shortly assembly the necessities for the switch,” Korea’s Ministry of Nationwide Protection stated.
Within the 2026 Nationwide Protection Technique launched on Friday, the US stated that South Korea is “able to taking major duty for deterring North Korea with essential however extra restricted US assist.”
The Korean Protection Ministry associated that Ahn and Colby agreed to work collectively carefully on Korea’s growth of nuclear-powered submarines and shared the view that such cooperation could be an essential step towards reinforcing Korea’s potential to steer the protection of the Korean Peninsula and additional upgrading the Korea-US alliance.
Following Colby’s consecutive conferences with Korea’s international minister and protection minister, the Korean authorities didn’t immediately point out the potential of adjustments to the scope or scale of US Forces Korea.
However Colby did contact upon that subject in a speech on the Sejong Institute on Monday afternoon.
“Our protection technique within the Indo-Pacific facilities on deterrence by denial alongside the primary island chain,” Colby stated, referring to a notional line working between Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, the Philippines and the Malacca Strait.
“We’re centered on constructing a army posture within the Western Pacific that ensures that aggression alongside the primary island chain is infeasible,” he added.
The undersecretary’s remarks seem grounded within the doctrine of strategic flexibility, underneath which US Forces Korea’s major mission would shift from deterring North Korea to countering China.
By Kwon Hyuk-chul, employees reporter; Jang Ye-ji, employees reporter; Park Min-hee, senior employees author
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