[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Hormuz Dispatch Decision... Controversy Over National Assembly Consent

An emergency press conference opposing the U.S. attack on Iran and calling for the suspension of the deployment of South Korean troops to the Strait of Hormuz is being held on the 9th at Gwanghwamun Square near the U.S. Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] The 31st Cheonghae Unit warship Wang Geon has relocated its mission area to the Strait of Hormuz to carry out its dispatch mission, sparking controversy over whether parliamentary approval is required.

The Ministry of National Defense considers that the dispatch of the Cheonghae Unit to the Strait of Hormuz does not require separate parliamentary approval. Since the Gulf of Aden is south of the Arabian Peninsula and the Strait of Hormuz is to the east of the Arabian Peninsula, they are geographically close, allowing the operational area of the Cheonghae Unit to be expanded to the Strait of Hormuz. For this reason, it is highly likely that the dispatch to the Strait of Hormuz will proceed without a separate parliamentary approval process.

Earlier, on December 10 last year, the National Assembly passed the extension plan for the Cheonghae Unit dispatch as proposed by the government in the plenary session. This extension plan included the condition that "in case of emergency, activities to protect our nationals include the designated waters," leaving open the possibility of dispatch to other waters in emergencies.

Typically, for the Ministry of National Defense to send dispatched troops overseas, it must first submit a dispatch consent bill to the National Assembly. After the National Assembly passes it, the Cabinet meeting resolves it, followed by the President's approval for the final decision. Article 60, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution states, "The National Assembly has the right to consent to declarations of war, dispatch of the armed forces abroad, or the passage of foreign troops through the territory of the Republic of Korea."

However, voices of opposition from the political opposition are also strong. They argue that if the Cheonghae Unit is to perform missions beyond the purpose for which the National Assembly previously consented, parliamentary approval must be obtained again.

Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, stated on the 10th, "The purpose of dispatching to the Strait of Hormuz is not to combat piracy but to antagonize Iran, so it cannot proceed without parliamentary approval," adding, "The dispatch consent bill passed last December was for the purpose of combating piracy."

On the same day, Sim met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Hong Nam-ki and Blue House Policy Chief Kim Sang-jo at the National Assembly, saying, "They say dispatch is necessary for national interest and security, but I think dispatching to the Strait of Hormuz is the most dangerous among military dispatches," and "I urge caution in dispatching for the sake of national interest and safety."

There are concerns that opposition voices, mainly from the political sphere and some progressive camps, may grow louder. They argue that dispatching to the Strait of Hormuz will bring little benefit to our country and only cause losses. In fact, when President Roh Moo-hyun decided to dispatch troops to Iraq in 2003 for the Korea-US alliance, anti-American civic groups strongly opposed it, and progressive forces declared withdrawal of support and held condemnation rallies.

A public opinion poll showed that 49% of the public oppose dispatching our troops to the Strait of Hormuz. According to a poll conducted by Realmeter on the 13th at the request of YTN, 40.3% supported the military dispatch to the Strait of Hormuz, while 48.4% opposed it. Realmeter asked the question, "As the crisis in the Middle East escalates, the United States has officially requested our government to dispatch troops to the Strait of Hormuz. The government says it will respond cautiously. What do you think about our military dispatch to the Strait of Hormuz?" The survey was conducted on the 10th with 502 adult men and women nationwide. The sampling error is ±4.4% at a 95% confidence level.

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