Government Joins Last-Minute Statement Condemning Iran, Keeps Embassy Open to Maintain Diplomatic Channel [US–Iran War]

The government is struggling to balance participation in an allies’ statement condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran over the Strait of Hormuz blockade with the need to keep diplomatic dialogue open with Tehran. Pressure has mounted from United States of America (US) President Donald John Trump for Seoul to join efforts to resolve the Strait of Hormuz issue, while Western allies are moving more forcefully to denounce the Islamic Republic of Iran, leaving South Korea at a crossroads. Most Western allies have withdrawn their embassies from the Islamic Republic of Iran, but the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Islamic Republic of Iran remains in place.
On the 22nd, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea was still considering using diplomatic dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran as a separate card from the Western allies’ approach. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun recently told the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea that South Korea is one of the few Western-aligned countries that continues to maintain an embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Among Western allies, only four countries, including South Korea and Japan, still operate embassies there. However, as Western partners move ahead with actions condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran, this stance has become a growing source of concern in Seoul.
On the 20th, the government announced that it would join the "Joint Statement by the Leaders on the Strait of Hormuz" issued by seven countries: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Canada. The Joint Statement by the Leaders on the Strait of Hormuz was first released on the 19th (local time), but South Korea initially stayed out and only joined later. The statement condemns the Islamic Republic of Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Additional sanctions or restrictive measures by Western allies against the Islamic Republic of Iran could be discussed at the expanded Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers’ meeting to be held in France this week. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has also been invited to attend the G7 meeting.
The government has so far kept the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Islamic Republic of Iran open, citing the fact that around 40 Korean nationals and their family members still reside there. Many of the remaining Koreans are reported to have married local residents and settled in the country, making them reluctant to evacuate abroad. Through diplomatic engagement by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea has also sought ways to secure the movement of 26 Korean vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz and to ensure the safety of their crews.
However, the situation became more difficult after President Donald John Trump called on South Korea to dispatch naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz. Although Donald Trump later withdrew his request for a naval deployment for the time being, there remains a significant possibility that he could renew the demand at any time. As a result, Seoul is now under pressure to present alternative measures to the US in lieu of sending warships. Japan, which faces a similar dilemma, saw its prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, visit the White House in Washington, D.C., where she outlined a large-scale second investment plan in the US.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is scheduled to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Antonio Rubio for talks on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting near Paris. Cho Hyun has been invited to the expanded G7 foreign ministers’ session and will visit France from the 25th to the 27th.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter