Defense ministry says Kang's 'U.S. trust' remarks meant to counter lawmaker's OPCON transfer doubts

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's recent remarks on U.S. trust were intended to counter a lawmaker's doubts over Seoul's push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington, not to question the ally's credibility, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

Kang drew media attention Monday when he pushed back against an opposition lawmaker skeptical of Seoul's push for the OPCON transition, citing an uncertain global security landscape, where even a military superpower, like the United States, faces challenges in the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Responding to Rep. Sung Il-jong of the main opposition People Power Party, Kang said, "Then if a war breaks out with North Korea, can we really trust the U.S. military as you described?"

"Because that is not the case, the OPCON transition must take place on a foundation of guaranteed trust," Kang said, advocating the OPCON road map to build a combined forces system, led by a South Korean general, with the U.S. military serving in a supporting role.

However, several domestic media outlets reported the remarks Tuesday as suggesting the minister raised doubts over the credibility of the ally.

"First, let me suggest watching the full footage (of the audit)," ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said in a press briefing. "The minister was posing a counter-question in response to the lawmaker's question implying that the U.S. is struggling in the U.S.-Iran conflict."

"The minister's point was that if we follow the lawmaker's logic, it would mean we could not trust the U.S. military if war broke out with North Korea and the minister was saying that it was simply not true," Chung said.

Chung pointed to Kang's subsequent comments during the audit that repeatedly underscored trust in the alliance with Washington.

"If you look at the full context, the minister's intention becomes very clear ... which makes it unthinkable that he would make remarks to the contrary," she added.

elly@yna.co.kr
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