Park Ji-won cites need to protect Korean vessels, preserve US ties

Says he 'fully understands' opposition from progressive camp

Warns against sending combat troops, urges careful government review

[Captured from YouTube channel 'Park Sung-tae's News Show']
[Captured from YouTube channel 'Park Sung-tae's News Show']

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won said Monday that sending non-combat troops to the Strait of Hormuz is "unavoidable to some degree," as the government weighs a deployment to the waterway. While acknowledging opposition to the move within and outside the Democratic Party, he said South Korea must weigh its national interests and its relationship with the United States.

Speaking on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Politics Show," Park said the deployment could not be helped. "Iran may regard it as participation in a war, but given the need to protect our vessels currently in the Strait of Hormuz and our various considerations regarding the relationship with the United States, isn't some degree of deployment unavoidable if it is limited to non-combat units?" he said. "I acknowledge that unavoidability," he added.

Asked about reports that the government was reviewing a plan to send a patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal unit of about 50 personnel — excluding a logistics support vessel — Park urged caution. "The specific details must be worked out carefully between the government and the United States," he said. "Refusing deployment outright, or sending combat troops if a deployment does go ahead, would create problems down the road, so it needs to be reviewed carefully."

On Iran's warning that it would treat South Korea's deployment to the strait as participation in the war, Park said Tehran had little choice but to take that position. "We have our own circumstances — this is about our relationship with the United States — so I believe it will be handled well," he said.

Park said he "fully understands" the opposition coming from within the progressive camp, including from the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Justice Party, civic groups and voices inside the Democratic Party itself. However, he said the issue remained a difficult challenge that must be resolved, "above all because it concerns our relationship with the United States and our national interests."

Park also offered a positive assessment of President Lee Jae-myung's decision to proceed with the deployment. When the host asked whether it was the right call, Park replied, "I think so." He also said the National Assembly should naturally pass a motion approving the deployment.

Meanwhile, Park drew a line at directly exporting Cheongung II air defense missiles to Ukraine, should the United States press South Korea to supply them. Noting that South Korea had not directly supplied lethal weapons to Ukraine, he said he believed "it would be difficult to do so this time as well, unless it is done through some other method."


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