The U.S. has reaffirmed that there have been no changes in conditions for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea, according to an ROK lawmaker, amid questions about Seoul’s readiness to lead allied defenses against North Korea.

Jin Sung-joon of the ruling Democratic Party made the remarks during a press briefing on Sunday following a visit to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, where he met commander Admiral Samuel Paparo last week.

“The U.S. side had acknowledged the possibility of certain policy-related factors coming into play” but reaffirmed that the two countries’ existing agreement to transfer wartime