Song Young-gil: "It Has Less Justification Than the Iraq War"—Opposition to Hormuz Deployment Spreads Within Ruling Party

[Financial News] As the government dispatches a fact-finding team to the Middle East to review the issue of deploying forces to the Strait of Hormuz, a demand raised by the United States, open opposition to the deployment is growing within the Democratic Party of Korea. While lawmakers agree on the need to ensure the safety of the Strait of Hormuz, they are increasingly arguing that a solution should be found through cooperation with Britain, France, and other countries rather than by directly joining a U.S.-led deployment.
Song Young-gil, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, said on YTN (Yonhap Television News)'s "News Myeongdang with Jang Seong-cheol" on the 9th that deploying forces to the Strait of Hormuz would be "difficult," adding that "it has even less justification than the Iraq War."
Song pointed out, "Not only does Article 5 of our Constitution stipulate that we must oppose wars of aggression, but there is also no United Nations resolution, and even NATO member states and Japan are rejecting the idea."
He also took a cautious stance on the possibility of deploying noncombat personnel. Song said, "I think we have no choice but to continue listening to the U.S. position, engage in dialogue, and find some other alternative." Regarding the Democratic Party of Korea's position if the government submits a deployment consent bill to the National Assembly, he drew a line by saying, "That would not be easy," and added, "The president's position has not yet been decided either."
Kim Byung-joo, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea and former deputy commander of the ROK/US Combined Forces Command, also expressed opposition to a U.S.-led deployment. In an interview with Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)'s "Full-Scale Current Affairs," Kim stressed, "We must not be unilaterally drawn along by U.S. demands. We must assess the issue from the standpoint of the safety of our troops, citizens abroad, and commercial vessels, as well as the national interest."
In particular, Kim proposed cooperation with European countries rather than the United States as an alternative for securing the safety of the Strait of Hormuz. He said, "After the war ends, there will likely be a U.S.-led framework and one led by Britain and France. If we go with the U.S.-led option, wouldn't that mean becoming entangled in a war in the Middle East?" He added, "We must not do that."
Kim Young-bae, also a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, said on YTN, "Personally, I oppose the deployment." However, while acknowledging the need to protect oil transport routes, he said, "We cannot help but consider cooperation with Britain, France, and various allied countries currently operating in the Strait of Hormuz," adding, "We need to consider the matter at the coalition level."
In other words, voices are emerging within the ruling party calling for multilateral cooperation with Britain, France, and other countries as an alternative to directly deploying forces under U.S. leadership.
President Lee Jae Myung's recent moves are also drawing attention. During a state visit to France, Lee said in a joint press statement following a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron on the 8th local time that the two countries would continue coordinating so that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and global supply-chain stability could be restored as soon as possible.
Earlier, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Ki-heon also became the first ruling-party lawmaker to publicly oppose the deployment, saying on the 4th, "Even if the forces consist of noncombat personnel, their essence is clearly participation in a war."
With the government having begun reviewing the deployment and even dispatched a fact-finding team, a series of public objections within the ruling party is expected to make coordination between the government and the party unavoidable. In particular, because parliamentary consent would be required if the government actually decides to deploy forces, opinion within the Democratic Party of Korea is expected to become a factor in the government's eventual decision.

[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter