Minister Ahn Gyu-baek of the Ministry of National Defense said on the 17th regarding dispatching a vessel to the Strait of Hormuz that "we have not received any official request from the United States."
The Minister appeared before the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly that day and said, "Leaving a message on social media is not considered an official request," stated accordingly. He then answered a question about what preparations are being made for an official request from the U.S. government by saying, "We conduct internal reviews until an official request arrives, but this is not something to disclose."
Regarding the criteria for an official request, the Minister said, "Even before receiving or sending documents, there should be an official process, such as consultations between the two countries' ministers," and added, "The Gulf of Aden deployment mission near Somali waters and the Strait of Hormuz, where a war is currently taking place, are on different levels, so I think there are many things to prepare." He also reiterated that a troop deployment requires the consent of the National Assembly.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on the 14th (local time) on the social media platform Truth Social, "Hopefully, China, France, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, and other nations affected by (the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz) will send vessels here."
Afterward, Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Rubio noted during the call that cooperation from multiple countries is important for the safety of the Strait of Hormuz, among other issues. Speculation is emerging that Rubio may be seeking to formalize President Trump's social media message at the government level.