politics
Senate NDAA Requires Reports on OPCON Transfer to South Korea and Bars Troop Cuts Below 28,500
The bill mandates Pentagon assessments every 90 days through 2030 and bars troop reductions below 28,500. It advances after an 18-9 committee vote last week.
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A Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027 requires the defense secretary to submit regular reports on a road map for transferring wartime operational control to South Korea, Yonhap reported June 18. The first report is due by March 1, 2027, with subsequent reports required every 90 days through 2030.
U.S. Forces Korea commander on conditions that must be met before the transfer. The conditions-based OPCON transition framework was signed by the allies in 2018. N.
Command during the 1950-53 Korean War. Control later moved to the Combined Forces Command when that headquarters opened in 1978. Seoul regained peacetime OPCON in 1994, but wartime OPCON remains with the United States as of June 2026.
U.S. troops in South Korea below 28,500. The provision matches language included in the prior year's version. The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 18-9 last week to advance the measure to the full Senate floor.
The bill must still undergo legislative deliberations and reconciliation between House and Senate versions before final passage. The administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung seeks to complete the OPCON transition before its term ends in 2030. U.S. Base in Pyeongtaek, 65 kilometers south of Seoul.
