Ahn Gyu-back says deployment to the Strait of Hormuz must clear the National Assembly

Ahn Gyu-back, South Korea's defense minister who is visiting the United States, said that any request from Washington for South Korean troops to be sent to the Strait of Hormuz would require approval from the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. At a South Korea-U.S. defense ministers' meeting at The Pentagon on the 11th local time, Ahn was asked by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to take part in Operation Epic Fury, a U.S. military operation aimed at blocking Iran's nuclear development.
At a briefing with correspondents at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States in Washington, D.C. on the 12th, Ahn said, "We did not go into any deep discussion about expanding our military's participation in specific terms." He added, "That is also something that must be handled in accordance with our domestic legal procedures." He was referring to the National Assembly approval process. Ahn also said he told the United States that Seoul would consider ways to contribute gradually to restoring normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz. "Basically, we will participate as a responsible member of the international community. We said that we would review ways to contribute step by step. That was the level of our message to the United States," he said. Ahn added that possible forms of gradual contribution included expressing support, sending personnel, sharing intelligence, and providing military assets.
Earlier, Cheong Wa Dae strongly condemned the attack on the South Korean vessel HMM Namuho in the Strait of Hormuz after it was confirmed to have been caused by an external strike. It also said South Korea would continue to join international efforts to ensure the safety of ships and freedom of navigation.
Ahn also said that he and Hegseth did not discuss any reduction of USFK troops or strategic flexibility. He added that Hegseth also expressed agreement on an early transfer of wartime operational control based on conditions. In the case of OPCON transfer, General Xavier T. Brunson, commander of USFK, recently told a US Congress hearing that the first quarter of 2029 should be the target date, revealing a gap in the two sides' views. The South Korean government, meanwhile, is reviewing a transfer by 2028, before Donald Trump's term ends.
rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter