President Moon: "Deployment to the Strait of Hormuz Must Find a Practical Solution"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] President Moon Jae-in stated, "The issue of dispatching troops to the Strait of Hormuz currently prioritizes the safety of businesspeople and Korean residents."

On the 14th, President Moon held a New Year's press conference at the Blue House State Guest House under the theme "Certain Change, Republic of Korea 2020," saying, "Regarding the troop dispatch issue, we will consider the overall factors such as the ROK-US alliance, diplomatic relations with Iran, crude oil supply, and energy transportation to find a realistic solution."

As of December 29 last year, about 1,600 Koreans were residing in Iraq, approximately 290 in Iran, around 700 in Israel, and about 150 in Lebanon. If their safety is threatened, deploying troops to the Middle East region cannot be ruled out.

The government is contemplating the possibility of expanding the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit, currently conducting missions in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, to the Strait of Hormuz. The 31st Cheonghae Unit warship, Wang Geon, is scheduled to arrive in the Gulf of Aden in mid-month for a mission handover. The straight-line distance from the Gulf of Aden to the Strait of Hormuz is about 1,800 km, which can be reached in approximately three days. Although the government has been reviewing the troop dispatch to the Strait of Hormuz at the request of the United States, it has been difficult to reach a conclusion due to anticipated strong opposition from Iran.

This is President Moon's third New Year's press conference. Unlike previous years, since he delivered a New Year's address on the 7th, the conference proceeded without a separate New Year's speech, starting with a brief opening remark of about three minutes followed by a Q&A session. The Q&A with reporters was divided into three topics?politics and society, livelihood and economy, and diplomacy and security?without pre-selecting questioners.

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