The U.S. administration has reiterated that it intends to transfer wartime operational control (OPCON) to Korea "when the agreed conditions have been met," amid Seoul's push to set a target year for the handover. "The United States intends to transfer wartime operational control to Korea when the agreed conditions have been met, which will ensure the safety and security of the people of Korea and U.S. forces stationed there," a U.S. administration official told Yonhap News Agency via email on Monday. The remarks came in response to a Yonhap inquiry regarding Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's comments that Seoul and Washington were coordinating on setting a target year for the OPCON transfer. "The United States policy on wartime operational control has been consistent for decades," the U.S. official added. During a parliamentary audit Monday (Korea time), Kang said Korea and the U.S. are closely coordinating on setting a target year for Seoul's retaking of wartime OPCON from Washington. "The Korean and U.S. authorities are closely coordinating on completing the full operational capa