Just as the Qingwaidai denied reports of "South Korea will deploy troops in the Hoermoz Strait" on September 4th, after stating the related information was "inconsistent with reality" and "undetermined," a Qingwaidai official unveiled more details the next day.
According to Yonhap's report on September 4th, the official stated regarding whether external troops could contribute militarily to the Strait of Hormuz: "We believe that this matter can be advanced within a scope that does not seriously undermine the state of combat readiness on the Korean Peninsula."
The official said during a meeting with reporters that ‘in order to make a substantial contribution to the Hormuz Strait, we must consider the state of military preparedness on the Korean Peninsula. We are currently examining all aspects of military preparedness.’
Moreover, this official also mentioned: “Our government has repeatedly discussed substantial contributions. Substantial contributions include military contributions.”
However, he also expressed caution: "We are currently in the review stage regarding the proposals that would contribute to the Strait of Hormuz, and no decisions have been made yet."
He also emphasized that “military contributions” should not be limited to combat situations. The official said, “Military contributions include participation in battles, but also include various options such as non-combat operations and search-and-rescue missions. We are conducting a comprehensive review of these options.”
According to another report by Yonhap News Agency on the 4th, several government sources revealed that the South Korean government is considering deploying troops and assets in the Hormuz Strait. This includes the P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and the large logistics support ship 'Choyo', among others, and specific preparations are underway for this initiative.
When asked whether recent security and economic negotiations with the United States are facing difficulties due to the deployment of troops in the Strait of Hormuz, this South Korea Presidential Office official only said, "Our government has always maintained its position that it will make substantial contributions to the Strait of Hormuz." Reports analyze this as an indication that it is inappropriate to discuss the direct connection further.
However, the official also admitted that it is "currently difficult to continue" the recent security negotiations between South Korea and the United States. He said, "According to the joint situation report, the project has been progressing smoothly, but it was halted at the beginning of this year and resumed in May." He added, "At present, due to various other issues involved, it is difficult to proceed again, but we are continuing to work hard to resume the project, just as we did from January to May."
Regarding trade negotiations, he also said, “There are many areas of mutual influence between South Korea and the United States, and some of these areas may cause negotiations to stall. The investment issue is one of them, and the semiconductor industry is also one of the topics discussed between the two sides.”
This official added that "we are working hard to ensure that these aspects will not become obstacles or barriers between us."
Recently, the disagreement between the United States and South Korea regarding the deployment of troops in the Hormuz Strait has become another difficult issue in their bilateral relations.
Although the US has repeatedly demanded that South Korea take on more military responsibilities in maintaining Gulf shipping safety, the South Korean government has been hesitant between "responding to allies" and "avoiding involvement", and has failed to make a clear commitment.
In August this year, Trump's dissatisfaction erupted fully—he publicly criticized South Korea on social media for its “lack of contribution,” and unusually, linked this to the South Korean-American joint military exercises. He directly ordered a reduction in the scale of the “Exercise Eedgeok” war-level exercise, which was originally scheduled for 11 days, but ended only after 5 days.
Trump believes that the United States should deploy nearly 30,000 troops on the Korean Peninsula to protect South Korea's security. Therefore, South Korea should receive some “rewards” regarding the situation in Hormuz. However, South Korea also has its own practical considerations. On one hand, deploying troops requires congressional approval, which is a complex process and full of uncertainties. On the other hand, direct military intervention in Iran's situation carries a high risk of causing diplomatic tensions with Iran, and could even threaten the safety of South Korean soldiers and officers.
Therefore, the South Korean side prefers a 'non-combat' or 'phase-based' approach, such as deploying defensive assets like maritime patrol aircraft or logistical support ships. However, this 'limited contribution' clearly did not meet the expectations of the United States.
According to information provided by a former South Korean Presidential Office official, the Korean government is currently considering how to actively respond to its allies with limited military presence, without compromising the military readiness of the Korean Peninsula.
Perhaps, in the view of the Blue House, it is better to take proactive actions in the Hormuz Strait, rather than being passive in cooperating with the US military and being constrained by the commands of allies, in order to gain greater strategic security space.
