The presidential office said the transfer of wartime operational control means that "right now the United States sits in the driver's seat and we sit in the passenger seat, but from now on we will take the wheel and the United States will sit in the passenger seat."
Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communication, made the remarks on the 20th on SBS's "Joo Young-jin's News Briefing," adding that "we are by no means telling the U.S. side to get off the taxi or bus we are riding in together." Sung said that "for 76 years our operational command authority has been handed over to the United States, and we have taken this for granted out of sheer inertia." He added that "South Korea is probably the only country with this level of national power that does not hold wartime operational control on its own."
On recent comments by Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, about changes to the conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control — remarks some have read as effectively putting the brakes on the transfer — Sung said, "I understand that Gen. Brunson's remarks do not represent the position of the entire U.S. government." He added, "I can say that consultations between the two countries on taking back wartime operational control are under way."
Asked about the task force the presidential office recently set up in anticipation of a possible round of golf between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, Sung said, "If such a scene unfolds, it would be an important event symbolizing the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance," calling it "a matter that must be checked meticulously."
Rebutting opposition criticism of the president's golf, Sung said, "I wonder if there is anywhere else that turns golf into material for political wrangling," adding, "I don't think I have ever heard of political disputes over former U.S. President Barack Obama's golf or President Trump's golf."
On concerns that the "two-way briefing" — which broadcasts live question-and-answer sessions between the presidential spokesperson and reporters — could lead supporters to single out individual journalists for attack, Sung said such worries "turned out to be groundless," adding, "I believe a system has taken root in which senior secretaries, the spokesperson and other briefers answer responsibly."