The New Indian Express ·
South Korea weighs 'military contributions' to Hormuz security; no final decision yet
SEOUL: South Korea said Friday it was weighing "contributions" to US security efforts in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, potentially including a military deployment, but noted that no decision has been made yet.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured ally South Korea to provide help for the war in the Middle East, saying Seoul rejected his request for assistance in securing the waterway key to global oil supplies.
"Contributions to the Strait of Hormuz could be managed within limits that do not compromise military readiness," a South Korean presidential official told reporters.
The president's office added in a separate statement that the "references made during today's briefing regarding military contributions — such as combat participation, non-combat roles, and search operations — were merely general descriptions of various options."
"Please be advised that nothing has been decided yet concerning actual contributions," it added.
The comments came a day after local broadcaster JTBC reported that South Korea's government was "leaning toward" dispatching troops to the strait and reviewing details ahead of seeking parliamentary approval.
Broadcaster SBS reported that the defence ministry was considering deploying a maritime patrol aircraft, a naval logistics support ship and an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team.
The maritime patrol aircraft would be tasked with monitoring submarines and surface vessels belonging to potential threats, SBS said, citing a senior military official.
The EOD team would be expected to conduct joint operations with foreign naval forces if deployed, the report added.
Trump has struggled to get help from allies in the war that the United States and Israel launched on Iran six months ago and has since hit an impasse.
Iran maintains a stranglehold on the strategic strait -- which was the conduit for one-fifth of the world's oil supply before the war -- and Washington has pressed its counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
An April ceasefire put an end to the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks -- mainly around Hormuz -- have dimmed prospects for a final peace agreement.
Trump complained in an interview late last month that Washington had received "very little help" from other countries, singling out South Korea as an example.
"We help them, but when it came to helping us, I didn't put on a heavy sell; But I just said, 'Would you like to participate?' And they all said, 'No, thank you.' And I said, 'I'm going to remember that to myself,'" Trump said in an interview with Fox News.