Senior Foreign Ministry Official: "US Will Request Troop Deployment, but Public Safety Is Top Priority"... Caution Urged on Hormuz Deployment

"Seems Usable for Cheonghae Unit, US Probably Won't Strongly Dislike Either"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has once again expressed a cautious stance on the deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz, which had surged amid escalating clashes between the United States and Iran.

A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters on the 9th that when asked about the possibility of deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz, "The United States will naturally request it, but the safety of our citizens must be the top priority," emphasizing, "There are about 1,600 of our citizens in Iraq, about 290 in Iran, and among them, 240 are in Tehran."

The senior official also forecasted that the United States would not oppose the possible use of the Cheonghae Unit. Regarding Japan's decision to dispatch one Maritime Self-Defense Force escort ship and a P3C patrol aircraft to the Middle East waters, he said, "Since the Cheonghae Unit's activities include the safety and protection of our citizens, I think it can be utilized," adding, "I don't think the United States would say they absolutely dislike it."

As the Korean government has maintained friendly relations with Iran, it has indirectly upheld a cautious approach, viewing deployment to the front against Iran as a matter that cannot be easily decided. However, as the situation in the Middle East has worsened due to the US-Iran confrontation, more advanced measures are expected to be necessary. Moreover, since the Chinese government opposed President Donald Trump's new nuclear agreement proposal by stating that "the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, ignoring international law and international obligations," it has become difficult to blindly maintain the previous stance.

Accordingly, Minister Kang officially acknowledged that the US position requesting troop deployment and Korea's position might differ. On the 14th (local time), Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is scheduled to hold the first and tenth-ever talks this year with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in San Francisco, USA.

Minister Kang attended the full session of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee the day before and said, "In terms of analyzing the situation and considering relations with countries in the Middle East region, (our position) cannot necessarily be the same as that of the United States," adding, "We have also maintained economic relations with Iran for a long time." She further stated, "There have been continuous requests for participation in the Hormuz operation, and we are continuously considering various options with the safety of our citizens and ship navigation as the top priority."

Some speculate that with the Middle East issue rising sharply at this foreign ministerial meeting, discussions related to the Korean Peninsula peace process, which the Korean government hopes for, may be relatively pushed back or may proceed in a direction the Korean government does not desire. According to Voice of America (VOA) on the 9th (local time), the US State Department reiterated its emphasis on enforcing sanctions against North Korea in response to President Moon Jae-in's New Year's address, which emphasized expanding inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the SMA negotiations, another issue in Korea-US relations, and the termination of GSOMIA, a current issue in Korea-Japan relations, may become intertwined.

An anonymous diplomatic source analyzed, "The United States is highly likely to prioritize the Iran issue and actively demand a joint front against Iran," adding, "Korea will strive to place the Korean Peninsula peace process, centered on progress in North Korea-US dialogue and exemptions from sanctions for inter-Korean economic cooperation, in parallel, and other contributions besides the Cheonghae Unit will be inevitable."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.