Big changes are afoot in the military alliance between the United States and South Korea. The two governments have agreed to transfer operational control of the South Korean military in the event of a war to a South Korean general. South Koreans are deeply divided about the wisdom of this move.
Some see control of their own forces as a basic sovereign prerequisite. Others believe their military is not prepared, and that the pursuit of "independence" in operations will undermine national defense. Implicit in the debate is the fear that the U.S. is weakening its commitment to South Korea's defense. Both governments -- and that of Japan -- need to understand the implications of this change and make sure they don't introduce uncertainty and insecurity into Northeast Asia.
South Korea originally delegated command and control of its armed forces to the United Nations Command in July 1950 -- which was headed by a U.S. general -- during the Korean War. After Seoul and Washington signed a mutual defense treaty at the war's end in 1954, operational control was given to the commander of U.S. Forces in Korea. This occurred again in 1978 when the U.S. contemplated withdrawing its forces from the Korean Peninsula. On each occasion, the U.S. and South Korea became more closely bound to enhance the effectiveness of their forces, and to ensure that North Korea was deterred from attacking the South.