Lee Jae Myung Pushes Wartime Command Transfer as Trump Cuts South Korea Drills
Updated
Updated · Mother Jones · Aug 18
Lee Jae Myung Pushes Wartime Command Transfer as Trump Cuts South Korea Drills
3 articles · Updated · Mother Jones · Aug 18
Summary
Lee Jae Myung said Seoul should immediately plan to take control of the Combined Forces Command after Donald Trump ordered annual US-South Korea drills scaled back.
Trump said the cut reflected Lee’s refusal to back the US war effort in Iran and his “very good relationship” with Kim Jong Un, calling the drills an inappropriate hostile signal.
Wartime operational control has remained under US command since the 1950s, and joint drills are seen in Seoul as essential to proving South Korea can lead combined forces.
Lee also urged faster development of nuclear-powered submarines, pairing the command push with broader rearmament that could sharpen tensions with North Korea.
The move recasts burden-sharing beyond higher allied spending: Seoul is arguing that stronger self-command would make it a more valuable ally, not a more dependent one.
Does the unilateral reduction of military exercises signal a risky shift toward bypassing Seoul in future negotiations with Pyongyang?
Will scaling back joint military drills permanently derail South Korea's timeline for achieving true wartime military independence?
Can South Korea successfully launch a nuclear-powered submarine fleet while balancing strict international nonproliferation rules and a stretched defense budget?