Page 187 - 2018 Defense White Paper

| Enhancing Combined Exercises and Certification Plan | The ROK and the U.S. have

examined and ref ined the two countries’ theater operations capabilities under the combined
command structure through the combined exercises that they conduct to master the execution
processes for crisis management and joint operations plans. Once the transition is complete,

the ROK CFC Commander will command the massive ROK–U.S. combined forces including
U.S. emergency reinforcements and must lead the war to victory. Therefore, the two countries
will supplement weaknesses and improve warf ighting capabilities through combined exercises

and certif ications applied with a new post-OPCON transition combined command structure
led by the ROK Armed Forces.

| Accelerating the ROK Armed Forces Capability Acquisition | For OPCON transition,
the ROK Armed Forces needs to acquire core military capabilities and critical response
capabilities 20) to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats at an early stage. Since
the “Conditions-Based OPCON Transition Plan (COTP)” was approved in 2015, the ROK

Armed Forces has been striving to acquire comprehensive capabilities to counter nuclear and
missile threats. Particularly after the inauguration of President Moon Jae-in, the ROK Armed

Forces has strived to systematically ref lect force requirements necessary for OPCON transition
in conjunction with Defense Reform 2.0. The efforts to accelerate the ROK Armed Forces’ Chapter 5
capability acquisition, including the related defense budget formulation, will continue.

| Evaluating the Progress in the Preparation for Wartime OPCON Transition | The ROK
and the U.S. have regularly evaluated and reviewed the progress in the preparation for wartime
OPCON transition through the combined implementation governance system that consists of

three subcommittees—military transition, planning and policy, and alliance management—
and conducted evaluations through SCM, MCM, and the steering committee. Through these
evaluations, the two countries’ armed forces will stably pursue OPCON transition toward the

direction that contributes to bolstering combined defense capabilities. Going forward, the ROK
will continue to evaluate the progress in the preparation under close coordination between the
two countries so that the transition is conducted on the basis of the robust Alliance.

20) Capabilities that the ROK Armed Forces has to acquire before the transition to lead combined defense

Section 2 Expeditious Wartime Operational Control Transition Based on a Robust ROK–U.S. Alliance 185