SEOUL, Sept. 4 (UPI) — The South Korean government on Friday pushed back on reports that concrete preparations were under way to deploy military forces to the Strait of Hormuz, saying that a review remains in progress.
Several local media outlets reported late Thursday that the South Korean military was preparing options including maritime patrol aircraft and explosive ordnance disposal teams. The reports said Seoul was aiming for a deployment before the end of the year and could seek parliamentary approval as early as this month.
The developments come amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has publicly called on South Korea to contribute to efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the strategically vital waterway.
On Friday morning, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff sent a text message to reports saying the reports were “inaccurate.”
“Our government has been in close consultation with the international community regarding the prompt restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and practical ways to contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East,” the statement said.
“No decisions have been made regarding this matter,” it added.
The presidential office later said a review was still under way and that any deployment would be assessed based on its impact on defense readiness on the Korean Peninsula as well as domestic legal requirements.
“We are thinking that we may be able to [make contributions] within the scope that does not compromise our readiness posture,” an unnamed presidential official said, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The official said the discussions had not reached the stage of seeking parliamentary approval and stressed that a military contribution would not necessarily involve combat forces.
“When you hear troop deployment, you tend to associate it with combat, but that should not necessarily be the case,” the official said, adding that noncombat and search missions were among the options under consideration.
The earlier local reports said possible contributions include P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, a Navy explosive ordnance disposal team and a logistics support ship, potentially carrying out missions including surveillance and mine-clearing.
South Korea has previously deployed military forces to the Strait of Hormuz on a limited basis. The Cheonghae Unit, a naval task force established in 2009 to conduct anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, temporarily expanded its operational area to the strait in 2020 amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
That deployment, however, was focused on protecting South Korean vessels and did not involve participation in a U.S.-led maritime coalition.
Trump publicly criticized South Korea last month for what he claimed was a direct refusal to assist U.S. efforts in the Strait of Hormuz amid Washington’s ongoing conflict with Iran.
Trump made the remarks in conjunction with his order to abruptly curtail a large-scale joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise.
The U.S. president said he viewed Seoul’s refusal as a matter of “fairness,” citing the cost of maintaining U.S. forces in South Korea and his longstanding push for Seoul to shoulder more of the expense.
