The South Korean submarine ROKS Ahn Jung-Geun prepares to moor alongside the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land in Busan, South Korea, Nov. 15, 2024. (Ethan Lambert/U.S. Navy)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — A Pentagon undersecretary met with South Korea’s defense minister this week to discuss alliance priorities, including the transfer of wartime operational control and Seoul’s plans to pursue nuclear-powered submarines, according to the country’s Ministry of National Defense.
Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, met Monday in Seoul with Ahn Gyu-back, the ministry said in a news release Monday. The visit marked Colby’s first overseas trip since taking office.
The talks included South Korea’s plans to develop a nuclear-powered submarine fleet, an effort that gained momentum in November when the White House signaled approval for Seoul to build an unspecified number of vessels.
The project is “extremely nascent,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said in Tokyo in November. A nuclear-powered submarine fleet would give South Korea the ability to patrol for extended periods without refueling, creating a “global asset” that could fundamentally alter the security environment on the Korean Peninsula, he said at the time.
Colby and Ahn also 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.
The United States and South Korea first agreed in 2006 to eventually transfer wartime operational control, though implementation deadlines have repeatedly slipped. The effort advanced in October when a bilateral committee approved a permanent Combined Ground Component Command.
The command is intended to improve information sharing and coordination of force management in both wartime and peacetime, South Korea’s defense ministry said Jan. 12.
Colby reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to strengthening defense cooperation with South Korea, calling it a “model ally,” according to the ministry.
He also met Monday with U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, according to a post by Brunson on social media platform X.
“Great discussion on defense strategy and integrated deterrence as we continue to advance the [South Korea]–U.S. Alliance,” he wrote. “Katchi Kapshida — We Go Together.”
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