SEOUL: South Korea will deploy maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team to waters near the Strait of Hormuz as part of efforts to protect commercial shipping and help keep the strategic waterway open, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
The move comes as Seoul maintains its position against deploying troops for military intervention in the Iran war, while seeking to safeguard its commercial shipping and energy supplies through one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
The US-Iran war, which began on February 28, has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies that normally carries around one-fifth of the world’s oil.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced Thursday that the country plans to deploy maritime patrol aircraft and a specialized mine-detection and clearance team near the Strait of Hormuz.
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The defence ministry confirmed reports that the government plans to expand the operational area of its Cheonghae anti-piracy naval unit, which currently protects commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, to waters near the Strait of Hormuz.
The deployment will include a destroyer, a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an EOD team, unmanned surface ships, unmanned underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for underwater exploration, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Extending the Cheonghae unit’s mission, which is currently authorised until the end of this year, will require parliamentary approval, Yonhap said.
“The enhancement of the Cheonghae unit’s mission is to protect our citizens and safeguard our economic interests,” a defence ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The official stressed that the reinforcement would be strictly non-combat in nature and that the unit would operate independently of allied forces.
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“Operations will remain restricted to the open waters south of Oman, and the maritime patrol aircraft will be prohibited from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, territorial waters or the interior of the Strait of Hormuz during their missions,” he said.
In September, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reiterated that his country would not deploy troops in a manner that could lead to military intervention in the conflict.
“We have upheld the principle of non-involvement and non-intervention in the war until now,” he said, adding that Seoul would continue to maintain that position.
Tehran has warned South Korea against such a deployment after Seoul indicated that it was considering contributing to efforts to secure the strategic waterway.
