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South Korea’s presidential office said Friday it is reviewing military options to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while denying reports that a deployment has already been decided.
Getting into it: Multiple South Korean outlets, including JTBC and MBC, reported Thursday that Seoul was preparing to send assets before the end of the year and could submit a consent motion to parliament this month after cabinet review. The options on the table are a maritime patrol aircraft, a logistics support vessel or a mine detection and clearance unit. Both are noncombat assets, a choice seen as a way to protect Seoul’s relationship with Iran. The government has been discussing scale and scope with the US, Britain and France.
The presidential office pushed back on the reporting. “Nothing has been decided,” a presidential official said, adding that readiness on the Korean Peninsula, domestic law and a vote in the National Assembly all factor in. “Contributions to the Strait of Hormuz could be managed within limits that do not compromise military readiness,” the official said. The official also rejected the claim that South Korea has done nothing on the issue.
The review comes as Trump escalates pressure on South Korea, which turned down a direct request to join the US war against Iran. Trump said in mid-August that he had called President Lee Jae Myung and asked whether South Korea wanted to give the US a hand with Iran, and that Lee said no. He responded by criticizing Seoul and scaling back joint military exercises.
Even if South Korea decides to go ahead, several hurdles remain. An overseas deployment requires a National Security Council decision, cabinet deliberation and National Assembly approval. The presidential official said Friday that talks are nowhere near the point of putting it to a vote. Public opinion is not on the government’s side either: a Gallup Korea poll in March put opposition to a warship deployment at 55%, with 30% in favor.
