Blue House ‘reviewing’ military and noncombat options to support U.S. in Hormuz

The Blue House said Friday that a review is underway over a range of options to support Washington's efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, including sending Korean troops to the region, though no final decision has been made.

“We believe there is room to maneuver, provided it doesn’t significantly compromise our readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula,” a presidential official told reporters on Friday regarding the possibility of Seoul considering overseas troop deployments as a means of making a military contribution to the Strait of Hormuz.

The remarks suggest that the Blue House is effectively keeping the door open to the possibility of a troop deployment to the heavily blockaded area as the United States has pressured allies to back its war against Iran through sanctions and military support.

Military sources said Thursday that the Korean government is preparing to dispatch military forces, as well as a naval logistics support ship and P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, to assist U.S. forces near the Strait.

Such discussions come as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured Korea to do more to support Washington amid the Iran war, claiming that President Lee Jae Myung has rebuffed his request for assistance.

“We have consistently expressed our intention to make a substantive contribution, taking into account our national interests and reliance on the Strait of Hormuz,” the presidential official said when asked about international efforts led by the United States, Britain and France to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. “Such a substantive contribution includes military involvement.”

The official elaborated that “military contributions” can range from combat participation to noncombat roles and search operations.

“Whether it is combat or noncombat, or involves just one or two personnel, deploying troops to the site is classified as a troop dispatch,” the official said. He noted that while the term “troop deployment” is often considered by the public to be linked to combat or the dispatch of large-scale forces, “that is not necessarily the case.”

However, the official stressed that “nothing has been decided yet concerning a substantive contribution,” saying such a decision will need to adhere to domestic legal procedures and consent from the National Assembly.

The Korean government appears to be reviewing plans to carry out noncombat and support missions in the Strait of Hormuz amid the prolonged U.S.-Iran war.

The official stressed that “the freedom of passage in the Strait of Hormuz is extremely important to our national interests,” noting that nearly 70 percent of Korea's crude imports pass through the strait, thus “any disruption to passage would have a significant impact on economic security.”

The government is holding consultations regarding the matter with the United States, as well as with Britain and France.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Aug. 17 that he asked the Korean president to join his efforts to denuclearize Iran and received the response, “No, thanks.” He later repeated the claim to reporters.

Trump reiterated the claim on Fox News on Aug. 30, singling out Korea for not helping with his war on Iran, stating, “I think you have to remember this stuff.”

According to multiple military sources Thursday, a plan to dispatch troops to the Strait of Hormuz was recently discussed during a joint meeting of foreign affairs and security agencies.

To finalize such a deployment, the government must secure approval from the Blue House National Security Council and complete legal procedures such as obtaining parliamentary consent.

When asked if security and economic negotiations with Washington were facing difficulties due to the issue of troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, the presidential official said, “We have consistently expressed our position that we would make a substantive contribution toward ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

He added that “claims that we have provided no assistance, as suggested by U.S. President Trump, are factually incorrect.”

The official indicated there is “no direct link” between President Trump's remarks and a review of sending troops to Hormuz.

Rather, he said that stalled security negotiations between Seoul and Washington resumed around May, in accordance with the bilateral Joint Fact Sheet signed last year, and have made some progress. However, “moving forward again is proving difficult” at the moment, he said, noting that the current situation is intertwined with other issues.

“There are various areas of cooperation between South Korea and the United States that influence one another, and some factors can lead to stagnation,” he said. “Investment issues are included in this, and semiconductors are also a subject of discussion.”

This comes amid reports that Washington is demanding investments in the semiconductor sector.

The official said Seoul is working to ensure that such matters “do not become hindrances or obstacles” in the negotiations.

Tensions are flaring within the ruling Democratic Party (DP) over the latest reports that the government is considering deploying troops and vessels to Hormuz.

“Although the Blue House has stated that 'nothing has been decided,' the mere fact that options such as deploying military reconnaissance assets or providing logistical support are being discussed is deeply concerning,” DP Rep. Lee Ki-heon wrote on Facebook. “Under no pretext can the deployment of our military to the Strait of Hormuz be tolerated.”

The liberal DP was also split over the deployment of troops to Iraq during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, which eventually dispatched the Zaytun Division, a Korean military contingent sent to aid Iraq's reconstruction in 2004. If a deployment to the Strait of Hormuz is authorized, it would mark the first time in some 22 years that military forces have been sent to a conflict zone in the Middle East at the request of the United States as an ally.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]