Following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused South Korea of refusing to join operations against Iran, the government in Seoul has not yet made a final decision on the option of sending military forces to the Strait of Hormuz.
A South Korean presidential official said the review was ongoing and that the government had not yet reached the stage of seeking parliamentary approval for a potential deployment. If South Korea makes a decision, it could provide a military contribution to international efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait without weakening its defense readiness.
Deployment option and preparations
The South Korean government had previously announced that it would assess the option of deploying forces to the strait after the war between the United States and Iran ended.
An unnamed South Korean Defense Ministry official said concrete preparations had been made to send a naval force. The preparations included P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal team and a logistics support vessel.
A senior South Korean military official also said talks with the countries concerned were continuing on base ports and operational bases.
Required approvals
The presidential official said a potential deployment would require a decision by the National Security Council, approval at a Cabinet meeting and the consent of the National Assembly.
The United States recently scaled back a military exercise it held with South Korea. South Korea is a defense treaty ally of the United States and hosts more than 28,500 American troops and other U.S. military assets on the Korean Peninsula.
