Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back says South Korea will play a leading role in security on the Korean Peninsula and has reached an agreement with the United States to accelerate the transfer to Seoul of wartime operational control, or OPCON.

At a press briefing held on Friday on the outcome of the two sides’ annual Security Consultative Meeting last week, Ahn said he told his counterpart, Pete Hegseth, about Seoul’s resolve to bolster its defense capabilities based on the strong combined defense posture.

The minister then shared Seoul’s plans to continually increase its defense spending.

Ahn said the allies agreed to closely coordinate efforts to ensure a systematic, stable and active OPCON transfer under their conditions-based plan.

He added that the two defense chiefs affirmed Washington’s unchanged commitment to its ally’s defense, which includes U.S. extended deterrence, and agreed to maintain the same posture for U.S. Forces Korea with the same level of military strength.