Hormuz survey team to brief NSC on conditions for troop deployment
A Ministry of National Defense on-site survey team dispatched to the Middle East to assess conditions for a troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz returned home through Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 10th after visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the weekend. Under the ministry's directive on overseas troop deployment operations, the team is to compile a report on its survey activities upon return and submit it to the National Security Council (NSC), with the findings also shared with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This survey amounted to a "preliminary review" aimed at gauging the situation on the ground.
Speaking at the National Assembly's interpellation session that day, Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee said, "The survey team's visit was a stage for evaluating and reviewing the overall situation, rather than presupposing a deployment or preparing for one." Noting that nothing has yet been decided regarding the deployment, he added, "At the national level, we are at a stage of review that takes comprehensive account of the safety of the people and the country's economic interests, among other factors."
Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communication at Cheong Wa Dae, said on the YouTube channel "Mae Bul Show" the previous day, "Everything will be discussed at the NSC, with the president serving as the final authority on decision-making." On MBC radio the same day, he reiterated, "There are various options for how to make a responsible contribution to normalizing the Strait of Hormuz, but no specific method has been finally decided yet." Asked about options other than a troop deployment, he replied, "If not a deployment option, technical support could also be a possibility." The government maintains that no decision has been made on whether to send troops.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on the social media platform Truth Social on the 16th of last month (local time) that he asked President Lee Jae-myung whether he was willing to join efforts to denuclearize Iran, only to receive the reply "No thanks!" After that post, U.S. moves to request a contribution to the Hormuz mission through channels at various levels have multiplied. For months, the government has been in consultations with the United States on substantive ways to contribute, such as military forces. In response to speculation that the U.S. side may have requested a deployment ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November, the Defense Ministry has denied it, saying it was "not true."
