U.S. President Donald Trump on the 16th, local time, again mentioned Korea and other countries as he pressed them to join an operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that day, "We have to remember that we have 45,000 troops in Japan. We have 45,000 troops in Korea, and we have 45,000 to 50,000 troops in Germany," he claimed.
However, the U.S. troop levels Trump cited differ from the facts. U.S. Forces Japan number about 50,000, U.S. Forces Korea about 28,500, and U.S. Forces Germany about 35,000.
He said, "We are defending all of these countries," and, "But when we ask, 'Do we have a minesweeper?' they say, 'Well, we may not get involved.'" He was pointing out that these countries accept U.S. security support but hesitate to provide military cooperation to the United States.
Trump said, "They should not only be grateful to us but also help us," adding, "What's surprising is that they are not that proactive. There are a few countries, and their names will be announced soon. On the other hand, there are countries that are taking the lead."
Earlier, before a luncheon with the Trump-Kennedy Center board that day, he told reporters, "We bring in less than 1% of our crude oil through this strait (the Strait of Hormuz), but some countries procure much larger amounts," emphasizing the need for allies to dispatch forces to the Strait of Hormuz.
He said, "Japan brings in 95%, China 90% (through the Strait of Hormuz), and several European countries import significant amounts. Korea brings in 35%," adding, "Therefore, we want these countries to step up and help with the strait issue."
However, these figures also differ somewhat from the real situation. According to the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI), as of 2024, dependence on crude oil imports that pass through the Strait of Hormuz stands at 62% for Korea, 69% for Japan, and 49% for China. In the case of the United States, about 7% of crude oil imports in 2024–2025 are understood to have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
On the 14th, Trump asked on social media to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz, naming five countries: Korea, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and France. The next day, he said that the number of target countries had increased by two, to seven, and that they were in talks over dispatching warships.