ISTANBUL

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Wednesday rejected the idea of suspending military drills near the inter-Korean border, saying troops must continue training even as Seoul seeks to ease tensions with North Korea, Yonhap News reported.

“Soldiers have to basically train,” Ahn told his first news conference with the defense press corps on Tuesday. “If both sides agree to suspend such training and North Korea ceases to do so, that could be another case, but we cannot unilaterally stop.”

His remarks followed comments by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young that his ministry was discussing a possible pause to border-area drills with the Defense Ministry.

Ahn also addressed Seoul’s long-running push to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from the US — a policy goal of President Lee Jae Myung’s government. He said the two allies are closely discussing the issue even at this moment.

"(Seoul) is pushing for wartime OPCON transfer in a systemic, stable and proactive manner under mutually agreed upon procedures and measures, and closely discussing the issue even at this moment," Ahn said.

South Korea hosts about 28,500 US troops. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff hold peacetime OPCON, while the US-led Combined Forces Command takes operational control during war.

The defense chief said Seoul must raise military spending as North Korea advances its weapons programs, citing Pyongyang’s cooperation with Russia. He warned that Moscow is suspected of supplying technology to North Korea in exchange for troop deployments to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Since last year, about 16,000 North Korean troops are believed to have been sent to assist Moscow in three separate deployments, Ahn said. The most recent contingent, composed of military engineers, is reportedly involved in reconstruction work in Russia.

“What we need to be alert about is that North Korea appears to be receiving technology from Russia, in a considerable scope,” Ahn said, predicting Russia might transfer “everything excluding core technology.”

He said South Korea should increase its defense budget by at least 8%, separate from US calls for allies to raise military spending to 5% of GDP.

“It is not because the US wants it, but we cannot but raise defense spending since it matters to us,” Ahn said.

During an Armed Forces Day event, President Lee vowed to reform the military into “professional, smart, elite forces” and announced an 8.2% year-on-year rise in defense spending to boost high-tech capabilities.