Photo : YONHAP News / Ministry of National Defense
Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul has met with his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, for the first time since assuming office last month.
The defense ministry on Wednesday disclosed a photograph of the two officials conversing in Cebu, the Philippines, where they are attending the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting(ADMM)-Plus gathering.
The two officials are likely to have discussed contentious bilateral issues, including the transfer of wartime operational control(OPCON) from Washington to Seoul.
The meeting occurred as South Korea and the United States have yet to set a date for this year’s Security Consultative Meeting, where Seoul is hoping to finalize a date for the OPCON transfer.
Before departing for Cebu, Kang vowed to hold close consultations with Hegseth, saying he believed the OPCON issue would come up.
Kang, who is making his debut in international multilateral gatherings, is also expected to meet with his counterparts from other major countries in the region, including Japan, on the sidelines of the ADMM-Plus gathering.