President Lee Says South Korea Can Retake Wartime Command of Combined US Forces

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said the country is capable of regaining wartime operational control of its forces, currently held by the United States. He urged an early return, saying consultations with Washington were moving in that direction. Lee’s remarks come amid differences over timing: his administration wants the transition completed before 2030, while US Forces Korea commander Gen. Xavier Brunson has cited changing security conditions and new standards. South Korea regained peacetime operational control in 1994, but wartime command remains with the US-led Combined Forces Command.