SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed on Tuesday that the government should follow its initial plan to regain wartime operational control of South Korean troops from the United States during his tenure, which will end in 2030.
Presiding over a cabinet meeting at the presidential office Blue House, Lee said South Korea had sufficient conditions to achieve self-reliant national defense and emphasized the need for a comprehensive upgrade of operational capabilities to further strengthen national defense.
The remarks came after the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield began on Monday.
In the early 1950s, South Korea handed over command of its military to the U.S.-led "United Nations Command." In 1978, it was then transferred to the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, which is headed by a U.S. military officer. South Korea retook peacetime operational control of its forces in 1994, but has not yet regained wartime operational control. ■
