Cheong Wa Dae: “Reviewing a Deployment to the Strait of Hormuz...Comprehensively Considering Combat and Noncombat Options”

[Financial News] Cheong Wa Dae said it is comprehensively reviewing military contribution options—including combat, noncombat, and search operations—to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. However, it stressed that no decision has yet been made. If troops are deployed, the government said it would consider readiness on the Korean Peninsula and procedures required under domestic law, including National Assembly consent.
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official met with reporters at the Chunchugwan Press Center at the Blue House on the 4th and was asked whether the government was considering deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz. The official replied, “I think the question is slightly ahead of where we are,” but added, “Freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is extremely important to our national interests. We are currently at the review stage. Nothing has been decided, but we are continuing to examine the matter.”
The official explained, “We rely on the Strait of Hormuz for nearly 70% of our crude oil, and the economic and security damage caused by its closure—as well as the broader impact on our economy—would be significant. That is why we actively consulted from the outset when the United Kingdom, France, and the United States proposed an international coalition to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Cheong Wa Dae had previously reiterated its general position that it was “reviewing substantive and military contribution options to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while comprehensively taking into account readiness on the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures.”
The senior Cheong Wa Dae official said, “We have spoken several times about substantive contributions, and substantive contributions include military contributions. We have said that we would review the matter while taking into account various aspects of readiness on the Korean Peninsula and following domestic legal procedures, and we are now at that stage of review.” The official added, “We believe we may have room to act as long as readiness on the Korean Peninsula is not significantly compromised.”
The official also said, “There are various forms of military contribution. One option is participating in combat, while another is a noncombat role. There are many possibilities. Even if the mission is limited to search operations, various options may be available, and we are comprehensively reviewing them.”
However, the official added, “There is a term called ‘deployment of troops,’ and it is a term found in the Constitution. If, for example, one or two personnel—whether for combat or noncombat purposes—go to the site, that is legally defined as a troop deployment. When the general public hears ‘deployment,’ they may associate it with combat or a large-scale deployment of forces, but that is not necessarily the case. There may be various options, and we are reviewing them in a range of ways.”
Asked about submitting a motion for National Assembly approval, the official emphasized, “We have not reached that stage yet. The review is underway, and we are still examining what needs to be done and how to proceed. That is why we are saying that nothing has been decided.”
Meanwhile, the senior Cheong Wa Dae official also said that South Korea–United States relations were “currently in a state where it is difficult to make progress” regarding recent security negotiations. The official said, “The process had been proceeding under the joint fact sheet, then temporarily stalled early this year before being restored in May. It is now difficult to resume because it is linked to several other issues, but we are continuing efforts to restore the process, as we did from January through May.”
Regarding trade negotiations, the official said, “There are various areas between South Korea and the United States, and they affect one another. Some can also become factors that cause delays. Investment issues are included, and semiconductors are indeed among the subjects under discussion.” However, the official explained, “We are working to ensure that these issues do not become impediments or obstacles for either side.”
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