Seoul pushes to regain wartime command as Tokyo deepens ties with Canberra
President Lee Jae Myung said the transfer of wartime operational control from the United States should proceed on schedule during his term. Simultaneously, China's foreign minister scheduled a visit to Seoul and Japan advanced joint laser tests with Australia.
Geopolitics··Evening
The push for wartime operational control
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told a cabinet meeting that the transfer of wartime operational control from the United States should go ahead on schedule during his term. The system, known as Opcon, has rested with Washington since the Korean War and is exercised through the Combined Forces Command. Lee also called for faster work on nuclear-powered submarines. The curtailed joint exercises this week were originally meant to help certify Seoul's readiness for the handover.[1]
Wang Yi heads to Seoul
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit South Korea for two days from Wednesday to meet Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said they will discuss North Korea along with bilateral and global issues. The trip follows renewed high-level exchanges after years of friction over a US missile defence system deployment, and comes days after Washington cut back the joint military exercises.[2]
Progress in the Boobook project
Japan and Australia advanced their own security cooperation in Canberra. Defence ministers Shinjiro Koizumi and Richard Marles said successful field trials of a high-energy laser for the Boobook project marked a significant milestone. Marles said the laser can operate on land and sea platforms to detect incoming threats optically. The ministers also reported progress on an arrangement to test advanced missiles on Australian soil, pushing cooperation beyond Canberra's decision last year to buy Japanese warships.[3]
