Government prepares for deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz, 'adjusting the pace'

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporters Kim Ji-heon, Min Seon-hee, and Kim Cheol-seon = The government appears to be adjusting the pace again after concretizing its preparations to dispatch military troops and military assets to the Strait of Hormuz at the request of the United States.

The military conflict between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, which had been quiet for a while, has recently intensified, raising public concerns and even some in the ruling party opposing the deployment of troops.

In addition, as the level of opposition from Iran increases, the factors that the government must consider continue to increase.

It is known that the government is reexamining candidates for military assets to be deployed while maintaining strategic communication with the United States, considering the impact it will have on pending issues between Korea and the United States, such as negotiations with the United States.

Regarding the issue of troop dispatch, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Jeong Bit-na said at a regular briefing on the 7th, "We are discussing closely with the international community, including the U.S., on ways to quickly restore free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and make a practical contribution to peace and stability in the Middle East," and added, "No specific plan has currently been decided."

Until last week, the Ministry of National Defense, the department responsible for preparing for troop dispatch, hinted that progress was being made on the troop dispatch issue, saying, "We will make it public at the appropriate time," but then took a cautious stance, saying that nothing had been decided.

This is not unrelated to the recent re-intensification of the armed conflict between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

The armed conflict between the US and Iran, which had entered a lull for a while, reignited on the 30th of last month when the US military launched an airstrike for the first time in about a month, and the level of retaliation intensified last weekend as both sides exchanged attacks targeting warships and oil tankers.

As the war situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz changed rapidly, the Korean government, which had been preparing to dispatch troops on the precondition of stabilizing Hormuz, including cessation of conflict, appears to have begun to adjust its pace.

In particular, as the news that the Ministry of National Defense was concretizing preparations for troop dispatch became known rather suddenly through media reports without coordination with the ruling party, it was reported that there was a somewhat embarrassed atmosphere even within the ruling party.

Within the Democratic Party of Korea, some lawmakers have publicly expressed their opposition to the deployment of troops, saying, “The deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz is unacceptable,” and progressive political parties across the ruling party are more active in opposing the deployment of troops.

In order to dispatch military units overseas, a motion to dispatch troops must first be passed by the National Assembly, but considering that differences of opinion within the party have not yet been resolved, it does not seem likely that the motion to dispatch troops will be submitted to the National Assembly immediately.

Government officials explain that it is realistically difficult to submit a motion to dispatch troops to the National Assembly within this month, considering the National Assembly personnel hearing schedule for State Councilor candidates following the second cabinet reshuffle and the National Assembly audit starting next month.

Meanwhile, Iran is raising its alert level regarding Korea's involvement in Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagai wrote in Korean on social media X on the same day, "Iran attaches great importance to friendly relations with the Republic of Korea," and "any other country's military presence or participation in operations in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz (...) will result in serious consequences."

Spokesperson Bagai even posted a photo that appears to be a composite of the Korean phrase, "Risk choices come with a price," and a sign presumed to be a warning sign, with the strait where a warship is floating in the background.

An anonymous high-ranking Iranian official sent a warning message about Korea's consideration of sending troops in an interview with a Middle Eastern media outlet on the 4th, but this time, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who can be said to represent the government, directly sent a threat targeting Korean readers using his real name.

Accordingly, Korea, which had steadily worked on relations with Iran by maintaining the embassy in Iran even while artillery shells were falling on Tehran after the outbreak of war, was put in a position where it had to consider Iran's backlash.

However, from the government's point of view, the deployment of troops to Hormuz is directly related to pending issues between Korea and the United States that require negotiation, such as securing the right to enrich uranium, negotiations on nuclear fuel for nuclear-powered submarines, and transfer of wartime operational control, so the reality is that it cannot be judged based solely on domestic public opinion or Iran's reaction.

U.S. President Donald Trump has recently been publicly expressing his dissatisfaction with the fact that South Korea, an ally, is not helping the U.S. properly, and the level of pressure on Korea to contribute is increasing, rather than lowering, as the war prolongs.

In the end, on the 17th of last month, the government even ordered that the scale of the theater-level ROK-US joint exercises that are held only twice a year be halved, and the government later concreted its preparations for sending troops to Hormuz.

Currently, the government is reaffirming its will to contribute with the general expression, "We are considering practical contribution measures," and is reportedly discussing the issue of dispatching troops to the Strait of Hormuz in detail through strategic communication with the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

A summit meeting is scheduled between President Lee Jae-myung, who is on a state visit to France, and French President Emmanuel Macron on the 8th, and there is a possibility that discussions on sending troops to Hormuz may take shape at this meeting.

It has been reported that the military authorities are taking into account recent changes in the situation and readjusting the 'list of military assets' to be deployed if a decision is made to dispatch troops.

Initially, a Navy logistics support ship capable of supporting military supplies such as oil and ammunition was mentioned as a priority, but it is said to have been adjusted to a lower priority due to the fact that about 100 crew members are needed to operate the logistics support ship and that it is highly obsolete.

Military authorities are reviewing the deployment list of maritime patrol aircraft that can detect and attack submarines and surface ships while monitoring a wide sea area, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and an unmanned mine search and removal device.

A government official said, "We have never confirmed the assets to be invested, and we are reviewing various options depending on demand," and added, "We are discussing ways to contribute safely rather than directly participating in combat."