Civic group "Expansion of Cheonghae unit's area under false pretense of sending troops to Iran war... must be withdrawn"

On the 9th, civic groups called for a withdrawal of the government's policy to expand the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit to the southern ocean of Oman, closer to the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was "a disguised deployment of troops for the war with Iran."

Previously, at the Vice Minister's Meeting on the 5th, the government passed a motion to extend the dispatch, which includes expanding the Cheonghae Unit's operational area by about twice as much as before and dispatching additional P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and unmanned minesweeping forces. The motion will be submitted to the National Assembly after deliberation by the Cabinet on the 10th.

Civil society groups, including the Candlelight Movement, the National Committee for Independent Democratic Unification, and the Korean University Students' Progressive Association, held a press conference in front of the Blue House fountain this morning and claimed, "This expansion of the operational area is nothing more than a disastrous disguised deployment of troops that gave in to the Trump administration's pressure to contribute militarily to the war against Iran."

He added, "I have doubts about whether our military is trying to carry out a dangerous intelligence-gathering mission instead in this area, where U.S. reconnaissance assets are at risk of being shot down."

He also mentioned the addition of 'support for the restoration of freedom of navigation' to the existing mission of the Cheonghae Unit in addition to the protection of our ships, and criticized that, in a situation where the United States has been requesting the participation of friendly countries in the name of guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, "this is no different from a declaration that it will accept the military action requested by the United States and carry out it on its behalf."

In particular, they urged, "If we abandon the friendly diplomatic relations we have built with Iran and side with the United States and participate in hostile military actions, not only will the relationship between the two countries be damaged, but the safety of our oil tankers and assets in the Middle East may also be threatened," and added, "We must withdraw the resolution of the State Council and completely block its passage through the plenary session of the National Assembly."