The commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Washington and Seoul aim to meet the conditions for transferring wartime operational control (OPCON) by 2029, as South Korea looks to take the lead in defending against North Korea.

Army Gen. Xavier Brunson testified at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Wednesday that USFK submitted a road map to the Pentagon to ensure the allies reach that target by the second quarter of the 2029 fiscal year, marking the first time U.S. authorities have publicly set a timeline for the long-delayed transition.

“I think right now, given the continued investments by the