Korea considers options as Trump calls on allies for military support in Strait of Hormuz
Published: 16 Mar. 2026, 07:00
![Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, left, speaks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on March 13. [PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/16/72233485-0173-4a7c-bf2a-63f5e17ea1e2.jpg)
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, left, speaks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on March 13. [PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE]
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday urged allies including Korea to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz after Iran blocked the strategic shipping route, placing Seoul under potential pressure to join a maritime security effort.
Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes — on March 2 in response to U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that killed Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28.
Against this backdrop, Trump listed China, France, Japan, Korea and Britain in two posts on Truth Social and suggested that countries affected by disruptions in the strait should help protect it.
“Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated,” Trump said. “Economically, and in every other way, but the countries of the world that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — a lot!”
“This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be — It will bring the world together toward harmony, security and everlasting peace!”
Trump calls for allied naval support
Trump has previously pressed allies to participate in maritime security efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.
![A map showing the Strait of Hormuz is seen in this illustration taken on June 22, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/16/f9d7d480-48f4-4221-a2db-cc3f7b836ad3.jpg)
A map showing the Strait of Hormuz is seen in this illustration taken on June 22, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
During his first term from 2017 to 2021, tensions in the Middle East rose sharply after Iran shot down a U.S. reconnaissance drone in June 2019 and the United States killed Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in January 2020.
At the time, Trump urged Korea and Japan to join the International Maritime Security Construct, a coalition created to escort commercial ships through the strait.
The Korean government did not join the coalition directly. Instead, the country expanded the operational range of the Cheonghae Unit, a naval anti-piracy force, from the Gulf of Aden near Somalia to waters near the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials now believe pressure from Washington could increase further because tensions in the Middle East have escalated beyond previous levels and entered a wartime phase.
The Korean government also faces operational concerns. Korean naval vessels have never entered the Strait of Hormuz directly, even after the Cheonghae Unit expanded its operational range during Trump’s first term.
The strait measures about 34 kilometers (21 miles) at its narrowest point. The actual shipping channel is only about 3 kilometers wide because of reefs and shallow waters, which would make navigation far more dangerous if naval mines were deployed in the area.
Seoul weighs options as tensions escalate
Korea is closely monitoring Trump’s comments and consulting with the United States, according to a Blue House official on Sunday.
![The Blue House is seen in central Seoul on Dec. 29, 2025. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/16/cb16af5f-2113-43d9-bc60-37ab266df27a.jpg)
The Blue House is seen in central Seoul on Dec. 29, 2025. [NEWS1]
“We are paying close attention to the remarks on social media by President Trump and will review the matter carefully through close communication with the United States,” the official said. “Safe sea routes and freedom of navigation benefit all countries and are protected by international law.
“The government is considering various measures to protect Korean citizens and ensure the safety of energy supply routes while monitoring the situation in the Middle East.”
Officials are reviewing multiple scenarios internally as Trump specifically mentioned Korea along with China and Japan as countries that rely on oil imports passing through the strait.
In principle, Seoul could again expand the operational range of the Cheonghae Unit and move naval vessels to the region if necessary.
The National Assembly approved an extension of the Cheonghae Unit deployment last November. The resolution allows operations in other waters when the military must protect Korean citizens during emergencies.
The Cheonghae Unit currently operates destroyer Dae Jo-yeong (DDH-977), a 4,400-ton vessel that uses the port of Salalah in southern Oman as its base.
But the nature of any formal request from Washington could complicate the decision.
“In 2020, Korea carried out an independent operation, but this time the United States may request a multinational naval deployment,” a senior government official said. “If that happens, the government will need separate approval from the National Assembly.”
Multinational mission could complicate decision
Among the five countries Trump mentioned, China is the only country that does not have a military alliance with the United States. France, Japan, Korea and Britain are all U.S. allies.
![A plane spotter takes pictures as a USAF B-1 bomber takes off from RAF Fairford air base, used by United States Air Force personnel in Gloucestershire, Britain on March 14. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/16/5c50c0a5-fe32-475e-8096-f33b7c99dbe3.jpg)
A plane spotter takes pictures as a USAF B-1 bomber takes off from RAF Fairford air base, used by United States Air Force personnel in Gloucestershire, Britain on March 14. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
The issue could also affect upcoming diplomatic meetings. Japan will hold a summit with the United States soon, and analysts say Trump could use the issue to press Tokyo to show support.
Washington also hopes to use Japan’s advanced minesweeping capabilities to help secure the strait. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force deployed minesweepers to the Persian Gulf during the 1991 Gulf War to clear naval mines.
Although Seoul has tried to separate security issues from economic negotiations, the Trump administration has often linked security commitments with trade issues such as tariffs. This dynamic adds another layer of pressure for Seoul as it manages sensitive economic negotiations with Washington.
U.S. media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, reported that Washington has begun moving Marine forces from Okinawa, Japan, to the Middle East, including the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, to support operations aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz.
Experts say large-scale troop redeployments of U.S. Forces Korea remain unlikely because the force mainly consists of ground troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula. Still, they say the possibility cannot be ruled out if the situation in the Middle East worsens.
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.
BY OH HYUN-SEOK, LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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