As it became known that the government has drawn up a plan to dispatch naval logistics support ships, maritime patrol aircraft, and other military assets to the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East and is preparing to submit a motion for parliamentary ratification, the Blue House on the 3rd said it is at a stage of review in accordance with procedure. Nothing has been decided, but we are continuing to review it.
A senior Blue House official met with the press corps that morning and said, We actively participated from the start when the United Kingdom, France, and the United States initially proposed an international coalition for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and we have said every time we discussed it that we would take into account readiness on the Korean Peninsula and review it in accordance with domestic legal procedures.
Earlier, it was reported that the government had set a positive direction on the dispatch to the Strait of Hormuz and is reviewing the details to soon submit a motion to the National Assembly for consent to the deployment.
If a new unit is dispatched from within the country, consent from the National Assembly is required for the deployment plan. However, if the operation of the Cheonghae Unit currently deployed in the Gulf of Aden is changed, National Assembly consent is not required.
To the question, You said it is under review, but if troops are dispatched, wouldn't that make us the first country to deploy? the official explained, The United Kingdom and France have already sent vessels to the area and are operating there, and we are consulting on a lower level of review than that.
Previously, in Aug., the government said it was considering ways to make military and practical contributions related to the Strait of Hormuz. Regarding this, the official said, We have used the terms practical and military to explain, but military contributions can include, for example, combat and noncombat, and there can be various methods related to search operations, so we are conducting a comprehensive review.
On dispatch, the official said, In fact, the term dispatch is a word in the Constitution, and whether noncombat or combat, whether one or two personnel, once they go to the field, it is defined as a dispatch.
The official added, It is just that when the general public hears dispatch, they generally tie it to consolidation with combat, but that may not be the case, and we are reviewing a variety of options.
On Donald Trump of the United States publicly singling out Korea and saying it did not help in the fight against Iran, the official said, Security negotiations between South Korea and the United States are not easy, and Trump's remarks have no direct connection with our review of the dispatch to the Strait of Hormuz. We had already been reviewing practical contributions before that and have continued to do so since.
Regarding U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's remark that tariffs would not be imposed only on semiconductors produced in the United States, the official said, Between South Korea and the United States there are various pending issues now, and these issues affect each other so that some become obstacles or hindrances. Among them there are investment issues, and among the investment issues, semiconductors are indeed a subject of discussion. We are striving to ensure they do not become obstacles.