South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Sunday that Seoul and Washington have only minor differences over the timeline for transferring wartime operational control (OPCON) — the authority to command South Korean forces in a conflict, currently held by the United States since the Korean War era — back to South Korea. Speaking on public broadcaster KBS, Wi described the gap as far smaller than commonly perceived, saying "it is not as though the two sides differ by five to 10 years," and characterised the final decision as fundamentally political. Seoul is pushing to complete the transfer before President Lee Jae Myung's term ends in 2030, with 2028 reported as a target, while the US military has suggested a slightly later date of 2029; Wi indicated a formal road map will be drawn up in the second half of this year, with leader-level talks expected to seal the final terms.