The Korea Times' front page reported that the transfer of wartime military command authority from Washington to Seoul is seen as a key bargaining chip for Seoul in the Moon-Yoon-Trump summit.

Seoul may push to revise the nuclear energy agreement due to defense needs. Diplomatic observers said the transfer of wartime military command authority from Washington to Seoul could become a key negotiation item in the upcoming summit between President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Donald Trump.

Experts say that with the two leaders scheduled to meet for the first time on Monday in Washington, this summit could reshape the security structure of the long-standing alliance. Seoul has been under pressure from the Trump administration to shoulder a larger share of the defense burden, which could mean increased financial contributions from South Korea for the驻韩美军 (USFK).

These US forces' roles, especially if their missions are expanded to counter China, are expected to be a top agenda item. As South Korea considers how to respond to Trump's costly demands and determine what leverage it can offer, experts say accelerating the transfer of operational command authority could be a potentially useful move for Yoon, who has promised to complete the transfer by the end of his term.

Sean Kim, an Asian affairs expert in the US and Senior Vice President at the New York-based consulting firm Park Strategy, said that Trump might welcome Seoul's request for a faster transfer of operational command authority. Kim said, "Trump might view the final transfer of operational command authority as a way to alleviate what he lamentably sees as the American burden in South Korea's defense."

Currently, South Korea commands its own military during peacetime, but wartime command authority is held by the US-South Korean Joint Command led by a US general. Multiple discussions have taken place over the years regarding this issue, but the transfer has repeatedly been delayed. "I think South Korea is in a favorable position to negotiate a faster transfer of wartime operational command authority, especially if it commits to increasing its defense budget, including purchasing American weapons, at the upcoming summit," said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Chairman of the Korean Foundation - VUB at the Brussels School of Governance.

Some analysts believe that upgrading the 2015 revised South Korea-US nuclear energy agreement is another key bargaining chip for Seoul. The agreement prohibits Seoul from enriching and reprocessing nuclear fuel - a measure aimed at preventing these materials from being used for military purposes.

At Monday's National Assembly meeting, South Korea's Foreign Minister listed enrichment and reprocessing of nuclear energy as examples of potential achievements South Korea could achieve at the upcoming summit.

However, the South Korean Foreign Minister cautioned against linking these discussions to South Korea's development of its own nuclear weapons, stating that such claims are unhelpful in advancing ongoing negotiations. Henry Hargrove, a former US diplomat and Senior Advisor at the US Chamber of Commerce in South Korea, said: "Civilian nuclear energy cooperation can become one of the areas to highlight future cooperation between the two countries." He pointed out that the existing nuclear working group provides a forum for both countries to determine the best path forward on nuclear issues. Hargrove also believes that Trump is likely to explicitly demand an increase in South Korea's defense budget at the upcoming summit, but he added, "How to proceed best is decided by the South Korean government."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840929532881996/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.