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South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Wednesday that Seoul may offer support for the U.S.-led effort to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz after a South Korean vessel came under fire in the waterway last week.
Mr. Ahn said during a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington that Seoul could “contribute in phases” to the reopening effort as a “responsible member of the international community.”
That phases could include political support, personnel dispatch, intelligence sharing and the potential deployment of military assets. However, Seoul is not considering expanded troop deployment to the region at this time, the defense minister said.
South Korea in March signed a joint statement with several European, Middle Eastern and North American nations dedicated to securing the strait. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also agreed last month to work with France on joint efforts to reopen the waterway.
President Trump called on South Korea and other allies to contribute military assets to the Strait of Hormuz to force the waterway open. Seoul and most of Europe refused to commit forces for military action but said they would help secure the strait when hostilities end.
Iran’s decision to close the Strait of Hormuz to all Western-linked ships has put extreme economic pressure on countries that rely on Middle Eastern oil, such as South Korea.
SEE ALSO: Seoul on the spot after likely drone damage to South Korean-operated ship in the Gulf
Typically, at least 70% of South Korea’s oil comes from Middle Eastern nations like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. The waterway’s closure forced Seoul to secure more than 270 million barrels of crude oil from alternative routes.
The comments come after a Panamanian-flagged ship, the South Korean-owned HMM Namu, was targeted by what authorities have described as unidentified flying objects last week as it was docked at a port in the United Arab Emirates. The explosions from the attack caused a fire but resulted in one injury.
A special investigation team, sent by South Korean authorities last week to Dubai, discovered massive ruptures in the hull of the ship, suggesting a “double-tap” strike method.
The Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied involvement in any attacks on South Korean-affiliated commercial tankers. However, images and footage strongly indicate projectiles fired into the Namu from the Iranian side of the Gulf.
The attack on the Namu came one day after Mr. Trump launched Project Freedom to guide commercial ships through the waterway. Iran launched attacks on U.S. warships, commercial vessels and the UAE in response.
Mr. Trump quickly announced a pause on the project last week, citing positive diplomatic developments with Tehran. But the Strait of Hormuz, which is used to transport at least 20% of the world’s yearly oil supply, has remained mostly closed to commercial traffic since then and Iran has promised to fire upon ships attempting to move through it without approval.
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