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South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met in the Philippines on Wednesday for their first bilateral talks, likely centered on narrowing differences over the timing of the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition, according to Yonhap and the Korea Times. The meeting took place ahead of an ASEAN-led ministerial meeting, with the defense ministry disclosing a photograph of the two officials. Meanwhile, the Korea Times reports the annual defense chiefs' meeting may be pushed back to early 2027 due to scheduling difficulties, though Seoul maintains no final decision has been made. In domestic reaction, the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Wednesday accused Kang of undermining the South Korea-U.S. alliance over his remarks about trusting U.S. forces in the event of a war with North Korea, as reported by Yonhap and the Korea Times.