South Korea’s proposed $53.5 billion defense budget prioritizes taking wartime command from US

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense is seeking about $53.5 billion for defense next year, including increased spending to prepare its military to take wartime operational control from the United States.

The proposed budget represents an 8.2% increase over this year and prioritizes strengthening South Korea’s ability to defend itself and establish a South Korean-led combined defense system after the transfer, the ministry said in a news release Tuesday.

Wartime operational control, or OPCON, refers to command of U.S. and South Korean forces during a conflict. That authority now rests with the U.S.-led Combined Forces Command, while South Korea maintains operational control of its forces during peacetime.

The ministry’s proposal sets aside roughly $36.6 billion for military operations, a 5.9% increase from this year, while $16.6 billion is allocated for defense capability improvements, up 13.8%.

The budget for military manpower administration is set at $384.2 million, a 1.4% increase.

Seoul has repeatedly pushed to accelerate the transfer and aims to complete the process before President Lee Jae Myung’s five-year term ends in 2030.

A South Korean air force KF-21 fighter, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, performs at the Aerospace and Defense Exhibition in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 21, 2023. (Alexander Kelly/U.S. Army)

The allies have a roadmap for satisfying the conditions required for the transfer by 2029, U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told Congress on April 22.

However, Brunson cautioned lawmakers that “political expediency” should not outpace military readiness.

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said July 1 that Seoul is prepared to accelerate the transition and has established the military capabilities, policy framework and public support necessary to assume wartime control “immediately if necessary,” the ministry said in a news release that day.

The proposed budget would fund efforts to establish the command structure and military capabilities needed for the transition, while accelerating several weapons programs aimed at countering North Korea.

The ministry plans to expedite deployment of medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles and domestically developed L-SAM air-defense missiles to strengthen surveillance and defenses against North Korea’s nuclear and missile forces.

The proposal also calls for increased production of the KF-21 fighter and funding for the Jang Bogo N project, South Korea’s effort to develop its first nuclear-powered attack submarine.

South Korea aims to launch the first submarine by the mid-2030s, according to a May 26 Defense Ministry news release.