The long-standing debate over the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) is once again emerging as a contentious issue in the ROK-U.S. alliance. The Lee Jae Myung administration has repeatedly expressed its determination to accelerate the transfer, while the Trump administration remains reluctant, emphasizing the need to meet the agreed conditions. The fact that the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), at which the two sides were expected to discuss and finalize a roadmap for the transfer, has been postponed until next year suggests that their differences remain unresolved. There is a real possibility that the OPCON issue could become a source of friction in the alliance. The sensitivity and importance of this issue stem from its direct connection to two fundamental values: sovereignty and security. From the perspective of national sovereignty, the commander-in-chief should be able to exercise full command authority over the country's own armed forces. President Lee has also stressed that South Korea cannot continue to leave its military sovereignty in the hands of another co