U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth Urges Korea to Join Hormuz 'Liberation Project'

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[Financial News] The U.S. Department of Defense has pressed Korea to join the Middle East maritime security coalition known as the 'Liberation Project.'
At a Pentagon briefing in Washington, D.C., on the 5th local time, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded to reporters' questions about whether there had been contact with a Korean vessel reportedly attacked by Iran and whether intelligence could be shared. "We are currently maintaining contact with the vessel," he said. "U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the maritime coalition are in communication."
At the briefing, Hegseth did not present any detailed analysis or military evidence to determine whether the incident was the result of a direct Iranian attack. Instead, he focused on indirectly criticizing Iran's threats, saying, "These attacks show the recklessness of Iran's actions."
Rather than seeking to establish the cause of the incident, Hegseth called for military contributions from Korea and other allies. "I hope Korea will take the lead. We have the same expectation for Japan, Australia and Europe," he emphasized.
He also said, "President Donald Trump made it clear: 'Since those are your ships, you should take part in their defense.'"
He also made clear that the United States is preparing to move beyond requests and into implementation.
"We are not simply waiting. We are creating operational conditions that can be handed over to our allies," Hegseth said. "We strongly expect Korea to actually take part in this approach."
jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-jun Reporter