South Korea Plans to Retake Wartime Command From U.S.

South Korean leaders plan to retake wartime command of their troops from the United States, Yonhap News reported July 15.

The report, based on statements from Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back, says this will likely occur within the five-year term of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

• In 1950, as the Korean War raged, South Korean authorities transferred operational control (opcon) of all South Korean forces to the U.S.-led United Nations Command.
• In 1953, the U.S. and South Korea became official allies by signing the Mutual Defense Treaty in the aftermath of the war.
• In 1994, peacetime opcon was returned to South Korea, but the U.S. retained wartime control.
• Now that U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing South Korea and other allies to assume more control of their security, retaking wartime opcon is a priority.

Ahn says South Korea is working to ease relations with North Korea and its military is making progress to meet conditions for the opcon transfer.

“Through a periodic evaluation between South Korea and the U.S. since 2006, I believe our military has made considerable accomplishments through strenuous efforts,” Ahn said in a parliamentary confirmation hearing.

Prophecy says: The Trumpet has said for decades, based on Bible prophecy, that U.S. power in Asia will be reduced and its alliances in the region will be ruptured. Today a growing number of trends—including an increasingly independent South Korea—show how quickly this could happen.

To understand the Bible passages this forecast is based on, and to know where current trends are leading, order our free booklet Russia and China in Prophecy.