Procedures and Variables in Participating in Hormuz Strait Operations

The government is taking a cautious stance regarding participation in military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, following the explosion and fire incident involving a Korean vessel. This is due to several variables, including the need to determine the cause of the accident and the declaration by U.S. President Donald Trump to suspend operations. While the immediate deployment of military forces is unlikely, the government may pursue limited and non-combat contributions, such as information sharing or dispatching liaison officers. These options could both help avoid pressure from the United States and reduce the risk of further damage to Korean vessels.

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The Ministry of National Defense is preparing a four-stage scenario regarding the Strait of Hormuz. On April 14, Minister of Defense Ahn Gyu-baek also stated at the National Assembly's Defense Committee that a four-stage plan was being developed in preparation for a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In the initial stages, activities with minimal military burden-such as expressing support for international efforts, dispatching liaison officers to multinational forces or the Maritime Forces Command (MFC), and exchanging information-can be considered as starting points.

However, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a temporary suspension of 'Project Freedom,' the operation supporting vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which may result in even the dispatch of liaison officers being put on indefinite hold. On May 5 (local time), President Trump posted on Truth Social, stating, "Taking into account requests from Pakistan and other countries, our tremendous military achievements during operations against Iran, and the significant progress made toward a final agreement with the Iranian delegation," he would be suspending Project Freedom.

The real issue arises if the explosion aboard the HMM vessel, operated by the Korean shipping company, is determined to have been caused by Iran. In that case, options such as deploying the ROKS Daejoyeong destroyer, which is currently assigned to the Cheonghae Unit in the Gulf of Aden, or the ROKS Wang Geon, which is about to rotate into the mission, as well as sending a logistics support ship to the Strait of Hormuz, are being considered. Rather than deploying warships directly into the Strait of Hormuz, the more likely scenario is to have them provide support from the periphery.

It is understood that deploying Cheonghae Unit assets to the Strait of Hormuz, given the situation is akin to wartime, would require the National Assembly's approval. However, if the existing mission designation is maintained and only the area of operations is expanded to the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of National Defense believes that separate parliamentary approval would not be necessary. A Ministry official stated, "While we are reviewing participation in Hormuz operations from multiple perspectives, determining the cause of the accident takes priority."

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