Lee calls for earlier return of wartime command
SEOUL, South Korea — Online searches for “nuclear weapons” rose in South Korea after President Lee Jae Myung invoked North Korea’s arsenal while arguing that Seoul should regain wartime operational control of its military from the United States.
Speaking with reporters at the presidential press center Oct. 19, marking 500 days since his government took office, Lee said South Korea could not indefinitely leave wartime command in another country’s hands. He described military sovereignty as a central part of national sovereignty and said consultations with Washington were moving toward returning that authority to Seoul.
Lee acknowledged that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons but questioned whether Pyongyang would use them in an actual conflict. He characterized the North’s arsenal as a weapon of last-resort defense. The remarks appeared repeatedly in breaking-news alerts and headlines, helping push nuclear weapons into trending searches.
U.S. and South Korea weigh transfer conditions
The issue, commonly known in South Korea as the transfer of wartime operational control, or OPCON, is a major question for the U.S.-South Korea military alliance. Under the current arrangement, a U.S. general would lead combined forces during wartime; the proposed transfer would place a South Korean commander in that role.
In 2015, Washington and Seoul agreed on three broad conditions for the transfer: South Korea’s ability to lead the combined defense, its capacity to respond to North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and a security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in the surrounding region that would support the change.
Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the United Nations Command, said at a Washington seminar Oct. 14 that changing circumstances and military plans had created new standards that must be met. Brunson previously cited the first half of 2029 as a possible timeline for the transfer.
Lee’s government believes the change could occur as early as next year if the allies follow their existing procedures. Responding to the U.S. position that South Korea’s capabilities must be verified, Lee said he appreciated the effort but questioned whether that was something South Korea should assess for itself. He expressed confidence that the process would go well.
Military comparisons fuel public interest
Lee said South Korea ranks fifth globally in conventional military strength when nuclear forces are excluded. He also said Seoul’s defense spending is roughly 1.5 times North Korea’s annual gross national product. Nuclear weapons entered the discussion as he addressed how the North’s arsenal affects comparisons between the two countries’ military capabilities.
The subject was already drawing substantial attention online. Two videos posted Oct. 13 examining South Korea’s Hyunmoo-5 missile and asking how it compares with other weapons when nuclear arms are excluded received about 1.22 million and 911,000 views, respectively. A Naver Clip video asking whether South Korea could build a nuclear weapon within a month drew about 1.38 million views.
Related searches included “North Korean nuclear weapons,” “South Korean nuclear weapons,” “nuclear-armed countries,” “how nuclear weapons work” and “the power of North Korean nuclear weapons.”
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