The government said a Hormuz deployment requires parliament's approval. The PPP wants to give it.
Published: 20 Mar. 2026, 15:52
Updated: 20 Mar. 2026, 18:33
![Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party attends a regular meeting of the party’s reformist faction at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/20/40040539-f7a4-48ae-be74-810313fda9fa.jpg)
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party attends a regular meeting of the party’s reformist faction at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 20. [NEWS1]
After U.S. President Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to urge Korea and others to send "War Ships" to the Strait of Hormuz on March 14, Seoul struck a noncommittal stance while saying that such a decision requires parliamentary approval.
Some in the National Assembly are now expressing approval, with calls growing within the opposition People Power Party (PPP) to accept the request for a Korean deployment.
Supporters argue that the move would yield significant national benefits by strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance and securing energy resources.
PPP Rep. Sung Il-jong, chair of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, said in a radio interview with SBS on Friday that “this deployment should be approached from the perspective of the national interest.”
“The Roh Moo-hyun administration deployed the Zaytun Division to Iraq in 2004” after receiving a request from the U.S. the year before, Sung pointed out, noting that “former President Roh made that decision based on the national interest.”
“It is a matter of timing and scale, but realistically, it is difficult to reject the U.S. request,” PPP Rep. Yu Yong-weon, also a member of the National Defense Committee, told the JoongAng Ilbo the same day. “The issue should be approached with consideration for both troop safety and strategic national interests.”
Within the PPP, some argue that deployment should be used as leverage in negotiations on a range of issues with Washington. They see it as an opportunity to push for long-sought demands such as the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and more favorable tariff conditions.
“Participation in the deployment should be contingent on securing clear commitments for the swift construction of nuclear-powered submarines, as well as expanded rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel,” PPP Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo said on Thursday.
![Rep. Park Soo-young of the People Power Party speaks during at the National Assembly in western Seoul on March 12. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/20/cca26e57-014b-40de-8896-7ed02899c947.jpg)
Rep. Park Soo-young of the People Power Party speaks during at the National Assembly in western Seoul on March 12. [YONHAP]
PPP Rep. Park Soo-young, a senior member of the National Assembly’s Finance, Economy, Planning and Budget Committee, also said that “a deployment would allow Korea to take the lead and strengthen its voice in numerous economic and security negotiations with the United States.”
The DP, meanwhile, remains largely opposed. Supreme Council member Hwang Myeong-seon said during a party meeting that Reps. Ahn and Park “should consider volunteering themselves and their children for the advance unit,” adding that “deployment must be carefully reviewed in terms of the overall national interest.”
DP Rep. Lee Ki-heon, who staged a solo protest against the deployment in front of the U.S. Embassy in Korea on Monday and Tuesday, wrote on Facebook, “Even the United States is contemplating an exit strategy, so why call for a pre-emptive deployment?” He criticized the move as an attempt to “incite a deployment under the guise of the national interest.”
The ruling camp's position also stems from a keen awareness of the importance of public sentiment, with local elections coming up in June. A Gallup Korea poll conducted from Tuesday to Thursday among 1,004 adults nationwide found that only 30 percent supported the deployment, while 55 percent opposed it. Opposition was particularly high among liberals, at 70 percent, and moderates, at 58 percent.
![Rep. Lee Ki-heon of the Democratic Party stages a one-person protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 16 against U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for Korea to deploy naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/20/1bd4d397-f5ba-4cfa-b9ed-3af7691f556f.jpg)
Rep. Lee Ki-heon of the Democratic Party stages a one-person protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 16 against U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for Korea to deploy naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz. [NEWS1]
Still, some within the DP acknowledge that a deployment may be unavoidable. Rep. Park Jie-won, a former director of the National Intelligence Service, said in an interview with the Kwangju Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday that “given the international situation, exchange rates and tariff negotiations, it is difficult to withstand U.S. pressure,” adding that “this is not a matter of right or wrong.”
“The government should at least signal that it is actively reviewing the issue,” Rep. Boo Seung-chan, the DP’s floor spokesperson on the National Defense Committee, said in an SBS radio interview on Friday. “There is a need to create grounds for opposition that the government can explain to the United States through the National Assembly.”
Boo's comments reflect a strategy that would give cover to the Blue House, allowing it to accept the request while requiring approval from the National Assembly, which would reject a deployment on the basis of widespread public opposition.
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 KIM GYU-TAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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