In a pointed rebuttal to ongoing debates over the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), defense expert Jeong Han-beom of Korea National Defense University has dismissed concerns that South Korea cannot defend itself independently.
Appearing on a recent broadcast, Jeong argued that if the world's fifth-largest military power cannot ensure its own defense, then logically only four nations globally could do so—an idea he called 'preposterous.' He supported President Lee Jae-myung's stance that the OPCON transfer should not be politicized, noting that the issue has been misused as a tool for domestic strife rather than assessed on actual defense capabilities.
Jeong also countered fears that U.S. Forces Korea might withdraw following the transfer, labeling such concerns unfounded. 'Such logic must be viewed as a truly preposterous argument,' he said, emphasizing that sovereignty would lose meaning if nations of South Korea's rank required foreign protection.