U.S. Forces Korea commander General Robert Abrams said there still is a long way to go regarding the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) of troops from the U.S. back to South Korea.

In an online seminar hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) on Friday, the USFK chief talked about North Korea and alliance issues.

Regarding OPCON transfer, he said the allies are fully committed to executing their agreed plan and in due time, citing recent progress that he said surpassed that made in recent years.  

Abrams said there was more progress in 2019 than in the previous three years and great strides are being made to meet the conditions, but he added that "we've got ways to go." 

In a rare move, he also mentioned that there are 26 tasks to be achieved to meet the conditions for the South Korean military to secure key capabilities for the transition. 

On North Korea, Abrams said the regime is not showing any signs of provocation and it may be too caught up in tackling COVID-19.