President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean forces from Washington to Seoul during a summit in New York, Tuesday (local time). Although the issue has been under discussion for decades, it was the first time that it has been raised between Lee and Trump, according to a senior Cheong Wa Dae official. The 30-minute summit was arranged unexpectedly on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where Lee and Trump both delivered speeches. The official said Lee devoted “considerable time” to explaining Korea’s position on the transfer and Trump showed “a great deal of understanding” of the issue. The Lee administration has pursued retaking OPCON by 2028 or even 2027 if possible, but U.S. military officials have said necessary conditions would not be met until the first quarter of 2029. Regarding the OPCON transfer, Lee outlined Korea’s efforts to strengthen its own defense capabilities, including plans to increase defense spending, and reaffirmed its willingness to take greater responsibility for de