The final in a series, the piece explores what OPCON transfer in the US-South Korea alliance means for the Indo-Pacific, including implications for a more regionally-oriented U.S. force posture and South Korea’s broadening responsibilities.

On the surface, wartime OPCON transition can appear a niche topic, marked by a change in the leadership of the South Korea-U.S. alliance’s combined military command structure. However, as this series of articles argues, the military command structure — and the policy process surrounding wartime OPCON transition — reflects and affects fundamental elements of the alliance. Therefore, wartime OPCON transition cannot be narrowly defined. It touches upon most facets of the alliance in a manner that is complex and often contradictory. 

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