Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul said Thursday he will pursue the transition of wartime operational command (OPCON) from Washington in a way that will strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Kang, ex-deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, made the remarks as Seoul has been seeking to regain wartime command before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ends in 2030. Under the three-phase OPCON transition plan, the allies are at the second stage of verifying the combined forces' "full operational capability (FOC)," with Seoul aiming to complete the FOC assessment process within this year. "We will pursue the transition of OPCON in a way that will strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance," Kang told reporters on his way to work to prepare for a parliamentary confirmation hearing. South Korea has been hoping to set a target year for the OPCON handover at this year's annual Security Consultative Meeting between the allies' defense chiefs this fall. In a recent Cabinet reshuffle, Kang was nominated as the new defense minister to replace Ahn Gyu-back, who ha