The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to handing wartime operational control of South Korean forces back to Seoul under agreed conditions, a senior South Korean lawmaker said on Sunday, easing concern that the long-planned transfer could be reopened after the US midterm elections.

Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party, who chairs the National Assembly's Defense Committee, said US military officials confirmed the position during his delegation's five-day visit to the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, which ran from 1 to 5 November.

“The existing agreement between Korea and the United States remains intact, and the conditions have not changed as of now,” Jin told reporters at a press conference at the National Assembly on Sunday, according to Yonhap news agency.

Jin said US officials acknowledged that “policy-related factors” could affect the timing of the transfer, after his delegation stressed Seoul's firm commitment to regaining command, but they confirmed that the conditions-based framework itself has not been altered.

South Korea handed wartime operational control of its forces to the US-led United Nations Command during the 1950-53 Korean War, and the question of when it returns has been debated between the two allies for more than two decades. President Lee Jae Myung's administration aims to regain wartime control before its term ends in 2030, or potentially earlier.

Jin said he did not expect the outcome of the US midterm elections to change the picture. “Korea and the U.S. have discussed and reached agreements over OPCON transfer for more than 20 years. A Democratic victory would not affect the existing bilateral agreements,” he said, according to Yonhap.

The two sides also addressed the postponement of the Security Consultative Meeting between South Korea and the United States, originally scheduled for November, until early next year. Jin said US officials told the delegation the delay was a scheduling matter and was not linked to any disagreement over the command transfer.

A defence ministerial meeting in December and the rescheduled Security Consultative Meeting early next year are expected to coordinate specific procedures and follow-up work for the transfer, according to Aju Press. The delegation's visit also covered Seoul's plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, with the US Navy signalling support for the push, Seoul Economic Daily reported.

The reassurance comes as the alliance faces a crowded agenda, including North Korea's missile programme and pressure on Seoul over maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. For the Lee administration, which has made regaining wartime command a stated goal, the confirmation that the existing agreement stands removes one source of uncertainty — even as US officials made clear that policy factors could still shape the timetable.