[COVER STORY] Seoul to send anti-piracy unit closer to Hormuz, add mine-clearing team

The government submitted a revised motion to the National Assembly in Seoul to expand the Cheonghae Unit’s mission to waters south of Oman and add assets to protect shipping routes. The proposal would increase the personnel ceiling from 320 to 395 and extend the deployment through Dec. 31, 2027, subject to parliamentary approval. The Ministry of National Defense said the expansion responds to increased piracy and would not involve Korea in the war involving Iran and the United States. The unit would remain under Korean command and operate outside the Strait of Hormuz.

The proposed additions include a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal team and unmanned mine-clearing equipment, including surface and underwater vehicles and remotely operated underwater robots.

The 75 additional personnel would include 45 assigned to the P-8 aircraft and 30 to the EOD team.

The ministry said reported pirate incidents rose from 11 in 2025 to 36 so far this year, and pirate activity had spread toward waters south of Oman.

The ministry said any future deployment to the Strait of Hormuz would require separate parliamentary approval and safe operating conditions, such as an end to the war or an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

The P-8 is expected to operate from Djibouti, but its exact base has not been determined; dispatch would follow parliamentary approval and consultations with Djibouti.

Published Nov 5, 2026 9:30 am KST

Updated Nov 5, 2026 5:34 pm KST

Defense ministry submits Cheonghae Unit expansion proposal to Assembly

A Republic of Korea Navy P-8A maritime patrol aircraft prepares for takeoff at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii, July 7, during the 2026 Rim of the Pacific exercise. Courtesy of Kookbang Ilbo

The government decided Thursday to expand the mission of its anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit closer to the Strait of Hormuz, extending its operating area from the Gulf of Aden to waters south of Oman and adding military assets to protect shipping routes.

The move is sparking concerns that it could draw Korea into the war between Iran and the United States.

The expansion proposal passed a vice ministerial meeting Thursday morning. After Cabinet and presidential approval, the motion will go to the National Assembly for final authorization.

Under the proposal, the unit’s personnel ceiling would rise from 320 to 395, with the addition of a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team and unmanned mine-clearing equipment.

The additional 75 personnel would include 45 assigned to the P-8 aircraft and 30 to the EOD team. The new equipment would include unmanned surface and underwater vehicles and remotely operated underwater robots.

The revised mandate would also add support for restoring freedom of navigation along international shipping routes to the unit’s existing anti-piracy and vessel protection duties. The deployment would run through Dec. 31, 2027, subject to parliamentary approval.

The expansion plan has drawn criticism and pushback. Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the Rebuilding Korea Party warned Wednesday that an accidental clash could be seen as entry into the war.

“Even if we claim an assignment is a noncombat mission, the other side may still view us as an entity to enter the war, and an accidental clash could spiral into irreversible military intervention,” Kim said.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), meanwhile, refuted the claim.

“The operational area of the unit does not even reach the Strait of Hormuz,” said Rep. Jeon Eun-su, spokesperson for the DPK. “While some raise concerns that this amounts to a de facto military deployment to the Hormuz, I want to emphasize once again that this is not the case.”

The Ministry of National Defense said the expansion was needed as piracy has increased off the coast of Somalia, partly because multinational naval forces had shifted toward the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea amid conflicts in the region.

According to the ministry, reported piracy incidents rose from 11 in 2025 to 36 so far this year, while pirates' activity has spread toward waters south of Oman.

The ministry emphasized that the expanded mission would not involve Korea in the ongoing war involving Iran and the United States.

“We will not participate in or intervene in the war under any circumstances,” a defense ministry official said.

The official said the unit would operate only in waters south of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, and remain under the command of Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

However, the ministry acknowledged that deploying the EOD team and mine-clearing equipment would also help personnel gain experience for possible future operations to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have not ruled that out and have taken it into account in our operational planning, but it is not the primary objective,” the official said.

A vessel from the Republic of Korea Navy's Cheonghae Unit is seen in this handout photo released by the military, Sept. 29, 2024. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Any future deployment to the strait would require separate parliamentary approval and safe operating conditions, such as an end to the war or an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Ban Kil-joo, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said the government chose to expand the Cheonghae Unit’s role to avoid the legal and political burden of a new overseas dispatch.

“Leveraging the existing Cheonghae Unit deployment could resolve the situation. It carries potential to contribute to the Korea-U.S. alliance and fulfills international security expectations as Korea aims to become a globally pivotal state,” Ban said.

However, he cautioned that risks still remain that the unit could come under attack, emphasizing the need to prepare defensive measures.

“Since the operation area extends to the waters south of Oman, we cannot rule out the possibility that Iran might target the Cheonghae Unit — whether intentionally or by accident — so the unit would need protection against ballistic missiles and drones,” he said.

Ban also argued that Seoul should use the expanded mission as leverage in talks with Washington.

“If the contribution helps keep the strait open, the government should tie it to issues such as U.S. investment pressure, OPCON (Operational Control) transfer and progress on nuclear-powered submarines.”

The P-8 aircraft is expected to operate from Djibouti, although its exact base has yet to be determined. Additional personnel and equipment would be dispatched after parliamentary approval and consultations with Djibouti.

The Cheonghae Unit has operated in the Gulf of Aden since 2009, escorting commercial vessels and conducting anti-piracy missions.

韩国政府向首尔国会提交了一份修订后的动议，拟将清海部队的任务范围扩大至阿曼以南海域，并增派兵力以保护航道。该提案拟将人员上限从320人增加至395人，并将部署期限延长至2027年12月31日，但需经国会批准。韩国国防部表示，此次扩编是为了应对日益猖獗的海盗活动，不会使韩国卷入伊朗和美国之间的战争。该部队仍将由韩国指挥，并在霍尔木兹海峡以外海域执行任务。

拟议新增装备包括 P-8 海上巡逻机、爆炸物处理小组和无人扫雷设备，包括水面和水下航行器以及遥控水下机器人。

新增的 75 名人员中，45 人将分配到 P-8 飞机，30 人将分配到爆炸物处理小组。

该部表示，报告的海盗事件从 2025 年的 11 起增加到今年的 36 起，海盗活动已经蔓延到阿曼南部水域。

该部表示，未来任何向霍尔木兹海峡的部署都需要获得议会的单独批准，并且需要满足安全的操作条件，例如战争结束或华盛顿和德黑兰之间达成协议。

P-8 预计将从吉布提起飞，但其确切基地尚未确定；派遣将在获得议会批准并与吉布提协商后进行。

发布于2026年11月5日上午9:30（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年11月5日下午5:34（韩国标准时间）

国防部向国会提交清海部队扩建方案

2026年7月7日，在夏威夷檀香山珍珠港-希卡姆联合基地举行的“环太平洋”联合军事演习期间，一架韩国海军P-8A海上巡逻机准备起飞。图片由《国民日报》提供。

政府周四决定扩大其反海盗清海部队的任务范围，使其更靠近霍尔木兹海峡，将其行动区域从亚丁湾扩展到阿曼南部水域，并增加军事力量以保护航运路线。

此举引发了人们的担忧，认为这可能会将韩国卷入伊朗和美国之间的战争。

扩建提案已于周四上午在副部长级会议上获得通过。待内阁和总统批准后，该提案将提交国民议会进行最终授权。

根据该提案，该部队的人员上限将从 320 人增加到 395 人，并增加一架 P-8 海上巡逻机、一个爆炸物处理 (EOD) 小组和无人扫雷设备。

新增的75名人员中，45人将分配至P-8飞机，30人将加入爆炸物处理小组。新装备将包括无人水面和水下航行器以及遥控水下机器人。

修订后的任务授权还将把恢复国际航道航行自由纳入该部队现有的反海盗和船舶保护职责范围。此次部署将持续到2027年12月31日，但需经议会批准。

这项扩张计划引发了批评和反对。重建韩国党议员金俊亨周三警告说，意外冲突可能被视为卷入战争。

金说：“即使我们声称某项任务是非战斗任务，对方仍可能将我们视为参战方，意外冲突可能会演变成不可逆转的军事干预。”

与此同时，执政的韩国共同民主党驳斥了这一说法。

朝鲜民主党发言人全恩秀议员表示：“该部队的作战区域甚至都不到霍尔木兹海峡。虽然有人担心这实际上相当于向霍尔木兹海峡部署军队，但我再次强调，事实并非如此。”

国防部表示，由于索马里沿海海盗活动增多，需要进行扩建，部分原因是该地区冲突导致多国海军部队转移到霍尔木兹海峡和红海。

据该部称，报告的海盗事件从 2025 年的 11 起增加到今年的 36 起，而海盗活动已经蔓延到阿曼南部的水域。

该部强调，扩大后的任务不会让韩国卷入伊朗和美国之间正在进行的战争。

“在任何情况下，我们都不会参与或干预这场战争，”国防部一名官员表示。

该官员表示，该部队将只在阿曼以南、霍尔木兹海峡以外的水域活动，并继续由韩国联合参谋本部指挥。

然而，该部承认，部署爆炸物处理小组和扫雷设备也有助于人员获得经验，以便将来可能在霍尔木兹海峡开展扫雷行动。

“我们并未排除这种可能性，并在行动计划中考虑到了这一点，但这并非主要目标，”该官员表示。

这张由韩国军方于2024年9月29日发布的照片​​显示，韩国海军清海分队的一艘舰艇正在航行。照片由韩国联合参谋本部提供。

未来任何向海峡部署的行动都需要获得议会的单独批准，并且需要满足安全的操作条件，例如战争结束或华盛顿和德黑兰之间达成协议。

韩国国立外交学院教授潘吉柱表示，政府选择扩大清海部队的职能，是为了避免新的海外派遣带来的法律和政治负担。

潘基文表示：“利用现有的清海部队部署可以解决这一问题。这有可能为韩美同盟做出贡献，并满足国际社会对韩国成为全球关键国家的期望。”

然而，他警告说，该部队仍有可能遭受攻击，并强调需要做好防御措施。

“由于行动区域延伸至阿曼以南的水域，我们不能排除伊朗可能以清海部队为目标的可能性——无论是故意还是意外——因此该部队需要防范弹道导弹和无人机，”他说。

潘基文还认为，首尔应该利用扩大后的使团规模作为与华盛顿谈判的筹码。

“如果这笔捐款有助于保持海峡畅通，政府应该将其与美国的投资压力、作战控制权移交以及核动力潜艇的进展等问题挂钩。”

P-8飞机预计将从吉布提起飞，但具体基地尚未确定。待议会批准并与吉布提协商后，将派遣更多人员和设备。

自 2009 年以来，清海部队一直在亚丁湾开展活动，为商船护航并执行反海盗任务。