The government and the U.S. have agreed to delay the transfer of wartime operational command until December first, 2015.

The presidential office in Seoul says President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama made the decision at the G20 summit in Toronto on Saturday.

The two agreed to delay the transfer, originally scheduled for April 2012, considering changes to the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. They ordered their defense ministers to begin preparing for the delayed transfer.

Seoul and Washington agreed on the transfer in February 2007 but have held under-the-table discussions on the delay amid rising security fears in South Korea in the wake of the North’s nuclear test in May last year and the sinking of the Cheonan in March this year.

President Lee thanked Obama for his full support for Seoul on the sinking and Washington’s strong commitment to maintaining national security in South Korea.

The two leaders also reaffirmed the need to firmly deal with Pyongyang for attacking the Cheonan, calling the attack a clear military provocation which violated the Korean War armistice and international agreements.

They agreed to continue close cooperation in seeking condemnation for Pyongyang at the U.N. Security Council as well as strengthening their bilateral response to the North.

They also agreed to continue efforts to push for the ratification of the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.