Hormuz deployment call requires careful strategy

 

The Cheonghae unit's Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin destroyer, right, alongside the Italian frigate Luigi Rizzo, participates in a counter-piracy operation codenamed ″Hanul″ in waters near the Gulf of Aden on May 21, 2023. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]

 
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly called on five countries — Korea, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and France — to dispatch naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz. The request was delivered through social media, where Trump argued that each country should take responsibility for protecting the safety of its own commercial shipping.
 
The demand appears to reflect Washington’s attempt to share the burden of the conflict with the international community. Because the request comes from the United States, Korea’s security ally, it cannot simply be ignored. Yet the situation is uncomfortable. The United States launched the war unilaterally and is now urging other countries to join afterward.
 
It is also unusual that a request that could lead to participation in war was first made through social media rather than formal diplomatic channels. Such an approach does not fit established international practice and places partner countries in a difficult position.
 
The Strait of Hormuz has become a geopolitical flashpoint. The risk of naval mines or torpedoes possibly deployed by Iran remains high, while missile and drone attacks are constant threats. The narrow waterway is one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.
 
Diplomatic consequences also require attention. Korea has maintained relatively balanced relations with countries across the Middle East. The region is central to Korea’s energy security and an important market for construction and plant projects. A hasty military intervention could damage diplomatic ties with Iran and other Middle Eastern states while harming Korea’s economic interests.
 

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At the same time it is difficult to dismiss entirely the argument that countries benefiting from safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz should contribute to protecting that security.
 
For that reason Seoul must avoid rushed decisions or premature public statements. Korea should closely monitor developments in the Middle East and the broader international response while carefully reviewing its options.
 
A presidential office official said the government would “communicate closely with the United States and make a careful judgment after reviewing the situation.” Understanding Washington’s intentions will be important, but coordination with other countries that received the same request is equally necessary.
 
Sending naval vessels would amount to dispatching Korean troops abroad. Any such decision therefore requires transparency and public consensus rather than closed-door deliberations. Korea’s Constitution also makes this clear. Article 60, Clause 2 requires National Assembly approval before troops are deployed overseas.
 
If a deployment ultimately becomes unavoidable, Seoul should consider a pragmatic approach focused on protecting Korean shipping rather than participating directly in combat. A precedent exists. In 2020 Korea expanded the operational area of the Cheonghae Unit, an anti-piracy naval force, to waters near the Strait of Hormuz in order to safeguard Korean vessels.
 
Such a strategy helped maintain the Korea-U.S. alliance while limiting friction with Middle Eastern countries. At a time of heightened tensions Seoul needs the same careful diplomacy. Korea must safeguard national interests while maintaining its alliance with Washington and minimizing conflict with states in the region.


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.