Blue House probes ministries over Hormuz deployment leak
The presidential office is investigating leaked details of possible support for Strait of Hormuz security while insisting no deployment decision has been made.
President Lee Jae Myung attends a senior secretary's meeting held at the Blue House in central Seoul on Sept. 3.JOINT PRESS CORPS
The Blue House has reportedly launched an internal investigation into diplomatic and security bodies after details of a possible Korean military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz were leaked to the media.
The office of the Senior Secretary to the President for Civil Affairs and Justice at the Blue House recently investigated how information about the possible deployment was leaked, with much of the scrutiny focused on the Ministry of National Defense, multiple sources from the ruling bloc said Thursday.
The investigation was extensive. Investigators examined the mobile phones of personnel at relevant ministries and, according to sources, even requested forensic examinations of some devices.
But some within the ruling bloc say the government has itself to blame for letting the deployment narrative take hold.
The deployment debate began gathering momentum on Sept. 3, when a media outlet reported that the government was leaning toward sending forces to the Strait of Hormuz. When the Defense Ministry answered that it would "disclose [details] at the appropriate time," it only fueled speculation that the government was not denying it and that the plan was virtually set in stone.
Reports soon followed about what military assets Korea might send and whether National Assembly approval would be required.
President Lee Jae Myung sought to tamp down the speculation on Sept. 4 after figures in the broader ruling bloc and civic groups immediately pushed back against the idea.
“The question of sending troops is extremely difficult,” Lee said at a meeting with civic groups. “Nothing has progressed.”
Civic group activists protest to oppose a possible Korean military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, in central Seoul, on Sept. 9.YONHAP
“The term ‘troop deployment’ should never have become the focus in the first place. The issue was framed incorrectly,” a source said. “What is being considered is sending noncombat assets rather than forces for direct combat. If the discussion continues to spread this way, it could only worsen public sentiment.”
The Blue House has since repeatedly stressed that no decision has been made regarding the matter.
“The broad direction of international cooperation has been set, but the details are still under review, and nothing has been decided,” a senior Blue House official accompanying Lee on a state visit to France said on Tuesday.
“Details of working-level discussions have made their way into the media, and the coverage has gotten far ahead of the decision-making process,” Seong Ghi-hong, the senior presidential secretary for public relations and communications, said during an episode of a YouTube podcast on Wednesday. “No final decision has been made.”
The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has also effectively been told to keep quiet.
“There has been no formal request from the United States and no formal position from the government, so questions based on hypothetical scenarios are inappropriate,” Kim Won-i, chair of DP’s strategic planning committee, said in a message on Monday urging lawmakers not to respond to media inquiries about the issue.
Commercial vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Sept. 7.AP/YONHAP
Working-level discussions, however, are continuing.
Rather than taking part in direct combat, the government is considering ways Korea could help protect freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Options include surveillance and reconnaissance using P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, as well as mine-clearing operations using explosive ordnance disposal teams and unmanned equipment.
A logistics support ship, which had initially been considered, has reportedly fallen lower on the list because deploying one would require substantially more military personnel.
A government team sent to the Middle East to assess conditions on the ground returned to Korea on Thursday and is expected to report its findings to the National Security Council (NSC).
The NSC’s standing committee, scheduled to meet Thursday, could discuss whether to send Korean military personnel or assets and what form Korea’s contribution could take, based on the team’s findings, according to sources in and around the government.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
