Hegseth calls talk of shaky S. Korea-U.S. alliance 'fake news:' Seoul's defense minister

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brushed off concerns over a perceived growing rift in the South Korea-U.S. alliance as "fake news," Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Friday after a bilateral meeting with his U.S. counterpart earlier this week.

Kang said the secretary made the comment when the minister brought up South Korean media reports citing alliance friction over key bilateral issues, including an apparent gap in advancing the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition from Washington to Seoul.

"Regarding the many stories that are coming out, Secretary Hegseth summed it up in just one phrase: 'Fake news,' and I agree," Kang told reporters upon arriving for work following his three-day trip to the Philippines.

He was asked whether any disagreements arose while addressing key issues during his meeting with Hegseth.

"I believe those claims cannot, and must not, shake the rock-solid foundation of the South Korea-U.S. alliance," Kang said.

Kang met one-on-one with Hegseth for about 40 minutes on the margins of a regional defense ministers' meeting in Cebu on Wednesday, his first sit-down with the U.S. defense chief since taking office in September.

Following the talks, the two sides announced the postponement of their key annual security dialogue, the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), to early next year, delaying the dialogue from its usual fall timeframe.

The announcement further fueled speculation over a widening rift in the alliance, particularly what has been regarded as disagreements in the timing of the OPCON transfer.

Kang stressed that he had a "good" meeting with Hegseth where the two sides could reaffirm the "unwavering strength" of their alliance.

"I would say that the biggest takeaway (from the talks) was that we agreed to align our thoughts on the OPCON transition," he said.

Seoul wants to retake wartime OPCON from Washington before the Lee Jae Myung administration's five-year term ends in 2030. Washington, however, has expressed reservations about a rushed handover out of political reasons.

Seeking to move forward with the OPCON transfer, Seoul's defense ministry said Thursday it will pursue a "top-down" approach to the process, signaling that it will push for a breakthrough during another bilateral meeting between Kang and Hegseth in December and at the upcoming SCM.

elly@yna.co.kr
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