South Korea mulls ‘contributions’ in Strait of Hormuz

Seoul has been heavily affected by the closure of the strategic waterway, and come under heavy US pressure for participation against Iran.

Commercial vessels lie anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]

South Korea is mulling “contributions” to the freedom of navigation ⁠in the Strait of Hormuz, the presidential office said.

The office said in a statement released on Friday that various options regarding providing assistance in securing the strategic waterway were being considered.

list 1 of 4 South Africa to Australia: Why coal profits are surging during Iran war

list 2 of 4 Alarm in South Korea as Iran dispute with Trump rattles a 72-year alliance

list 3 of 4 After six months of war, what have US, Iran gained and lost?

list 4 of 4 Asia looks to store oil, gas closer to home after Strait of Hormuz crisis

The United States has been pressuring Seoul and other allies over their refusal to join its war against Iran, which has seen Tehran limiting maritime traffic in the strait – a key route for global oil supplies.

Local broadcaster JTBC reported on Thursday that South Korea’s government was “leaning toward” dispatching troops to the strait and reviewing details ahead of seeking parliamentary approval.

The presidential office was eager to state that no decision has yet been made, although that effort appeared to spread further confusion.

An unnamed official told reporters that “nothing has been decided” and that Seoul would consider domestic legal procedures, military readiness and parliamentary approval.

“South Korea may be able to make military contributions to global efforts to ensure free navigation through the strait, as long as such contributions do not compromise its military readiness,” the official said.

The president’s office then issued a statement saying: “References made during today’s briefing regarding military contributions – such as combat participation, non-combat roles, and search operations – were merely general descriptions of various options.

“Please be advised that nothing has been decided yet concerning actual contributions,” it added.

Any military deployment by South Korea requires a decision by the National Security Council, a resolution at a cabinet meeting, and consent from the National Assembly.

The ongoing discussion “has not reached the stage of seeking parliamentary approval and no final decision has been made,” the official from the presidential office said.

President Lee Jae Myung may discuss options regarding the Strait of Hormuz when he meets French President Emmanuel Macron next week, he added.

Public support for involvement in the Middle East may be limited. A Gallup ‌Korea poll from March found 55 percent of people were opposed to sending South Korean warships to the strait.

However, South Korea has been heavily affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The country relied on the supplies transiting the waterway for 61 percent of its crude oil imports and 54 percent of its naphtha imports last year.

It is also under pressure from the US, its most important ally.

President Donald Trump said in August that he had cancelled US-South Korea joint military exercises in part because South Korea had declined to help the US in its war against Iran.

Afterwards, the South Korean government said it would pursue a deployment to the strait only after the US-Iran war ends.

The official from the presidential office insisted claims that South Korea has provided no assistance related to the Strait of Hormuz were “not true”, saying Seoul had long discussed practical contributions with the international community.

In late 2019, South Korea’s military expanded the deployment of its anti-piracy unit from Somalia to the area around Hormuz after the US pressed for help to guard oil tankers.

首尔受到战略水道关闭的严重影响，并面临美国要求其参与对抗伊朗的巨大压力。

商船停泊在伊朗阿巴斯港附近的霍尔木兹海峡。[Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]

韩国总统府表示，韩国正在考虑为霍尔木兹海峡的航行自由做出“贡献”。

该机构在周五发表的一份声明中表示，正在考虑各种方案，以协助确保这条战略水道的安全。

列表 1/4：从南非到澳大利亚：伊朗战争期间煤炭利润为何飙升

列表 2/4：伊朗与特朗普的争端动摇了长达 72 年的同盟关系，韩国发出警报

（共 4 题，第 3 题）经过六个月的战争，美国和伊朗分别获得了什么，又失去了什么？

（共4条）第四条：霍尔木兹海峡危机后，亚洲寻求在更靠近本土的地方储存石油和天然气

美国一直向首尔和其他盟友施压，要求他们加入其对伊朗的战争。这场战争导致德黑兰限制了海峡的海上交通——海峡是全球石油供应的关键通道。

韩国当地电视台JTBC周四报道称，韩国政府“倾向于”向海峡派遣军队，并在寻求国会批准前审查细节。

总统办公室急于声明尚未做出任何决定，但这一举动似乎反而加剧了混乱。

一位不愿透露姓名的官员告诉记者，“尚未做出任何决定”，首尔方面将考虑国内法律程序、军事准备情况以及国会批准。

“只要不损害韩国的军事战备，韩国或许能够为确保海峡自由航行的全球努力做出军事贡献，”这位官员说。

总统办公室随后发表声明称：“今天简报中提到的有关军事贡献——如参与战斗、非战斗角色和搜救行动——仅仅是对各种选项的一般性描述。

“请注意，关于实际捐款数额，目前尚未做出任何决定。”声明补充道。

韩国的任何军事部署都需要国家安全委员会的决定、内阁会议的决议以及国会的同意。

总统府官员表示，目前的讨论“尚未达到寻求议会批准的阶段，也尚未做出最终决定”。

他补充说，李在明总统下周与法国总统埃马纽埃尔·马克龙会晤时，可能会讨论有关霍尔木兹海峡的各种方案。

公众对介入中东事务的支持可能有限。盖洛普韩国3月份的一项民意调查显示，55%的受访者反对韩国向霍尔木兹海峡派遣军舰。

然而，霍尔木兹海峡的关闭对韩国造成了严重影响。去年，韩国61%的原油进口和54%的石脑油进口都依赖于经由该水道运输的物资。

它还面临着来自其最重要的盟友美国的压力。

唐纳德·特朗普总统在8月份表示，他取消美韩联合军事演习的部分原因是韩国拒绝帮助美国对抗伊朗。

随后，韩国政府表示，只有在美伊战争结束后才会考虑向海峡部署兵力。

总统府官员坚称，有关韩国未向霍尔木兹海峡提供任何援助的说法“不属实”，并表示首尔长期以来一直在与国际社会讨论做出实际贡献。

2019 年末，在美国敦促韩国协助保护油轮后，韩国军方将其反海盗部队的部署范围从索马里扩大到霍尔木兹岛附近地区。