President Lee Jae Myung is repeatedly calling for South Korea to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States within his term, with analysts saying the push reflects a sense of urgency to accomplish a long-standing liberal goal that has remained unfulfilled. The analysts added that Lee’s push could gain momentum from U.S. President Donald Trump’s desire to scale back Washington’s military and financial burdens in South Korea, presenting Seoul with a rare opportunity to complete the transfer after years of delays. Lee renewed his call for the transfer during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday. “We must proceed smoothly with the transfer of wartime operational control within [my] term, in accordance with the government’s original plan,” Lee said. Regaining OPCON within Lee's five-year term, which ends in 2030, has been the administration's goal. It has been pushing recently to set the target year for 2028, or as early as 2027, to be discussed during a Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) with the U.S. this October. In particular, Lee's renewed inst