South Korea's defense ministry has sent a survey team to the Middle East to assess conditions on the ground before deciding whether to deploy forces to the Strait of Hormuz. The move comes ahead of a decision on a deployment requested by the United States, with the ministry saying it wants to examine the regional situation and security conditions first. The ministry stressed that the survey "is not premised on an actual deployment."
The team left for the United Arab Emirates last weekend and is examining operational conditions for a potential deployment force, the ministry said on the 8th. The team is expected to return as early as this week, and its findings will be reported to the National Security Council after its return.
"We dispatched a survey team to assess the situation in Hormuz," a ministry official said. "It is intended to gauge the regional situation and security conditions, and this survey is not premised on an actual deployment." The official added that "nothing has been decided regarding a deployment." While the team was sent to help inform a decision, no decision on a deployment itself has been made, the official said.
The official also denied media reports that Washington had asked Seoul to deploy by November, saying, "It is not true that the United States made a request with a set deadline for sending our assets to the Strait of Hormuz."
