The operational control of two Marine divisions, now governed by the Army, will be restored to the Marine Corps for the first time in 50 years as part of a military overhaul, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The move is designed to ensure the independence of the Marine Corps by fully restoring its operational control over its military units. Under the plan, the operational control of the 1st Marine Division and the 2nd Marine Division will be returned to the Marine Corps by the end of 2026 and 2028, respectively. The operation control of the 1st Marine Division currently lies with the Army's commander of the 2nd Operation Command, while that of the 2nd Marine Division is subject to control of the Army's Capital Corps. "The Marine Corps will remain under the Navy as it is now, but its independence will be ensured by granting the Marine Corps commander command and oversight authority on par with that of the chiefs of staff of each service," Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said during a briefing. The defense minister also vowed to review the possibility of promoting Marines to four-star ge