South Korea's government has begun a working-level review of the Donald Trump administration's request to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz, and is expected to hold a standing committee meeting of the National Security Council as early as the 17th of this month to take up the deployment in earnest. The presidential office said the president is the final decision-maker and that nothing has been settled yet.
Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communication, said on the 9th during an appearance on the YouTube program "Maebul Show" that various views would come together and be sorted out during the NSC discussions, and that the president is the one ultimately responsible for the decision. He stressed that if a responsible direction takes shape, the office will state its position responsibly. The remarks were meant to convey that individual opinions emerging at the current working-review stage should not be taken as the government's position.
He also denied speculation that the deployment is tied to investment in the United States or to bilateral trade negotiations. Sung said trade talks are proceeding on their own track and are not linked to the deployment. Asked by the host whether U.S. pressure over the deployment was strong, he said it was not.
Sung added that the "joint efforts for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz" agreed by President Lee Jae-myung and French President Emmanuel Macron at their summit should not be understood as immediately equivalent to a troop deployment. A senior presidential official accompanying Lee on his state visit to France also told reporters in Paris on the 8th that the details are under review and that interagency discussions would be held if necessary, adding that Lee's position is to flesh out contribution measures based on the national interest and public consensus, in recognition of the importance of stability in the strait.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense has sent a survey team to the United Arab Emirates to examine ports of call, military footholds, maintenance and supply conditions and the operating environment, according to sources. The ministry cautioned against overinterpretation, saying the survey does not presuppose an actual deployment, but the team is scheduled to return home this week and report its findings to the NSC.
Within the ruling party, meanwhile, calls for caution and open opposition to a deployment are growing. Rep. Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party said in a radio interview that winning National Assembly approval would also be difficult, while Rep. Kim Byung-joo, the ruling party's chief negotiator on the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, stressed that Korea must not be dragged along unilaterally by U.S. demands.
