It has been reported that the Ministry of National Defense is considering expanding the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit, an overseas dispatch unit carrying out missions in the Gulf of Aden waters in Somalia, to the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, and reinforcing its military capabilities, including maritime patrol aircraft.
According to the military on the 15th, the Ministry of National Defense is reviewing the contents ahead of submitting to the National Assembly the 'Agreement to extend the deployment of ROK military units to the Gulf of Aden waters in Somalia'.
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.
Since it is carrying out its mission in a relatively close location to the Strait of Hormuz, which was blocked due to the US-Iran war, the possibility of it being a dispatched unit has been discussed since last March when US President Donald Trump requested 'dispatch of warships' to Korea.
The Gulf of Oman is a sea area connected to the Strait of Hormuz. If you go through the Strait of Hormuz, it connects to the Gulf of Oman, and if you go further from the Gulf of Oman, it connects to the Arabian Sea.
In the troop dispatch motion passed by the National Assembly last year, the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit was specified as 'the area around the Gulf of Aden in Somalia.' However, there is also a phrase that says, ‘In case of emergency, activities to protect our citizens include designated sea areas,’ so it is possible to expand the operational scope depending on interpretation.
Currently, the Cheonghae Unit's strength consists of one 4,400-ton destroyer (DDH-II), one maritime operation helicopter, up to three high-speed boats, and up to 320 personnel. The Ministry of National Defense is said to be considering deploying a maritime patrol aircraft to increase aerial surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
The P-8A Poseidon, a state-of-the-art naval maritime patrol aircraft capable of monitoring a wide sea area, is mentioned.
However, the Ministry of National Defense is of the position that the review of expanding the Cheonghae Unit's operational scope and strengthening its power is in accordance with the existing missions of the Cheonghae Unit, such as anti-piracy operations, rather than in response to the United States' request to 'send troops to Hormuz'.
An official from the Ministry of National Defense explained the background for the review, saying, "It is true that the safety situation in the area is worsening, with pirate activities in the Gulf of Aden waters in Somalia recently increasing sharply compared to previous years."
He added, "The Cheonghae Unit is carrying out the mission specified in the dispatch agreement in the Gulf of Aden waters in Somalia, and according to the agreement, the mission is scheduled to end on December 31, 2026." He added, "The government is considering submitting an extension motion before the expiration of the Cheonghae Unit dispatch agreement, but the details have not been decided."
Previously, President Lee Jae-myung suggested at a public press conference on the 18th of last month that he was considering ways to strengthen the role of the Cheonghae Unit, presenting the principle that "there will be no deployment of troops to intervene in the war."
In fact, it is known that the Cheonghae Unit has provided convoy support from a distance several times to Korean oil tankers that passed through the Red Sea, a detour route, due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the aftermath of the recent Middle East war.
Some are pointing out that this strengthening of the role of the Cheonghae Unit could lead to a ‘diversionary dispatch of troops.’
On this day, Progressive Party lawmaker Son Sol said at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of military courts, "There are many opinions that strengthening the mission of the Cheonghae Unit should not be a diversionary dispatch," and added, "When expanding an operation, the consent of the National Assembly is essential, and please pay special attention to ensure that the operation is not expanded through ambiguous sentences or definitions."
In response to this, Minister Kang Shin-cheol said he plans to submit a motion to dispatch troops to the National Assembly soon and said, "We are reviewing various aspects of the Cheonghae Unit's mission and extension of deployment."
