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Seoul Sends Team to Assess Hormuz Strait Security Situation
(MENAFN) South Korea's Defense Ministry confirmed Tuesday that it has dispatched an investigation team to evaluate the security situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to media reports, as Seoul weighs whether to answer Washington's call for military support in the region.
The team departed for the United Arab Emirates over the weekend and is expected back as early as this week, a South Korean news agency reported, with findings set to be delivered to the National Security Council.
"It is aimed at assessing the state of affairs and the security situation in the strait," a ministry official said, stressing that the mission "was not decided on the premise of military deployment."
The ministry also pushed back on a separate report claiming the US had pressed Seoul to decide by November whether it would commit troops to the strait.
The dispatch follows a March request from US President Donald Trump, who urged five nations — including South Korea — to send warships to help secure the vital shipping corridor. Trump later revealed in August that South Korea had told him "no thanks" at the time.
On Monday, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said it remains in close coordination with relevant countries and the broader international community to help safeguard free passage through the strait. The presidential office reiterated that no final decision on troop deployment has been made, noting that multiple options remain under consideration.
The Defense Ministry is reportedly also reviewing a list of "military assets" that could be deployed on short notice should Seoul ultimately commit to a military contribution. That list is said to include a maritime patrol aircraft, bomb disposal specialists, and equipment for detecting and clearing sea mines.
Adding pressure to the deliberations, Iran warned Monday that any South Korean military involvement in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz would carry "serious consequences."
The team departed for the United Arab Emirates over the weekend and is expected back as early as this week, a South Korean news agency reported, with findings set to be delivered to the National Security Council.
"It is aimed at assessing the state of affairs and the security situation in the strait," a ministry official said, stressing that the mission "was not decided on the premise of military deployment."
The ministry also pushed back on a separate report claiming the US had pressed Seoul to decide by November whether it would commit troops to the strait.
The dispatch follows a March request from US President Donald Trump, who urged five nations — including South Korea — to send warships to help secure the vital shipping corridor. Trump later revealed in August that South Korea had told him "no thanks" at the time.
On Monday, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said it remains in close coordination with relevant countries and the broader international community to help safeguard free passage through the strait. The presidential office reiterated that no final decision on troop deployment has been made, noting that multiple options remain under consideration.
The Defense Ministry is reportedly also reviewing a list of "military assets" that could be deployed on short notice should Seoul ultimately commit to a military contribution. That list is said to include a maritime patrol aircraft, bomb disposal specialists, and equipment for detecting and clearing sea mines.
Adding pressure to the deliberations, Iran warned Monday that any South Korean military involvement in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz would carry "serious consequences."
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