Government, in response to criticism of 'trick sending of troops', "non-intervention in war, principled stance... review of role"

Emphasis on principles in response to criticism of ‘detouring troops to Hormuz’

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jeon Myeong-hoon = On the 16th, the Ministry of National Defense emphasized its 'principled position' of "not interfering in war or combat under any circumstances" in response to criticism that the review of the expansion of the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit of the troop dispatched to the Gulf of Aden was a trick to 'divert' dispatching troops to the Sea of Hormuz.

The Ministry of National Defense emphasized this in a message sent to reporters on this day and said, "We are reviewing the government's role to protect our people and protect our economic interests, and so far (what role it will play) has not been decided."

The Cheonghae Unit is an overseas dispatched unit of the ROK Armed Forces that has been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden waters in Somalia since 2009 to carry out anti-pirate operations and support safe convoy and safe navigation of ships.

Recently, it was reported that the Ministry of National Defense is considering expanding the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit to the Gulf of Oman, which is connected to the Strait of Hormuz, and reinforcing military power such as maritime patrol aircraft, ahead of the submission to the National Assembly of the annual 'Agreement to extend the deployment of ROK military units to Somalia's Gulf of Aden waters'.

The Ministry of National Defense added, "When establishing a specific plan, we will communicate closely with the National Assembly and clearly explain it to the public."