South Korea and United States to Hold High Level Defense Talks in Busan

South Korea and the United States will hold their senior level regular defense talks from Wednesday through Friday this week in the port city of Busan. The Korea US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will be led by South Korean Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Kim Hong cheol and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for East Asia George Lemeur, along with other foreign affairs and defense officials. According to the defense ministry, the meeting will cover a range of security issues, including joint defense posture, cooperation in shipbuilding, and South Korea's effort to retake wartime operational control (OPCON). South Korea aims to complete the second phase of verifying full operational capability and announce a target year for the OPCON transfer at a defense chiefs meeting this fall, with a goal of regaining command as early as next year or before President Lee Jae Myung's term ends in 2030. While not explicitly specified by the allies, the talks are widely expected to address the possibility of South Korea deploying military forces to the Strait of Hormuz. This follows pressure from Washington to help secure the waterway and a recent South Korean assessment team visit to the United Arab Emirates. The South Korean government has stated that no decision has been made regarding deployment, while Iran has warned that such a move would lead to serious consequences. This meeting marks the second KIDD session of the year and is the first time the event has been held outside of Seoul or Washington, a choice the ministry says demonstrates a resolve to expand shipbuilding cooperation.