Currently, the US would command allied troops in the event of war on the Korean Peninsula, but successive South Korean governments have sought to regain wartime operational control.
Lee’s administration has signalled it aims to finalise the process during his term, which runs through 2030, once South Korea meets a set of military capability conditions agreed with the US.
Touching on global issues, Lee said South Korea was grappling with the security and economic fallout from the Middle East conflict and sought US views on how to manage the impact.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said efforts toward the operational control transfer were making progress but needed to be underpinned by the ability to respond effectively to crises.
Republican Senator John Curtis welcomed Seoul’s pledges to raise defence spending and purchase US$25 billion worth of US weapons by 2030, as well as South Korea’s plans for large-scale investment in the US, including in shipbuilding and manufacturing.
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