'Just explained concept of military contribution'
Amid President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to France, Cheong Wa Dae said a review of the US request for South Korea to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz "is underway, and no decision has been made."
A Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters in Paris on Tuesday (local time) that "the broad direction of international cooperation has been set, but the details are still under review."
The US had formally requested that South Korea deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz by November, according to the reports. The reports also said the Ministry of National Defense had sent a fact-finding team to assess military operational conditions on the ground. Asked about the reports, the official said they appeared to be "somewhat overinterpreted." "It is not about reviewing combat, noncombat or search-and-rescue options — it is more like explaining the concept of military contribution," the official said.
The official went on to say, "We are keeping all options open, and there is nothing specific yet. The situation remains the same as before."
Asked whether the deployment plan could be discussed at the National Security Council standing committee meeting on Sept. 17, the official said only, "Since nothing specific has been decided, it is difficult to give a timeline."
President Lee, in a joint press statement following his summit with French President Emmanuel Macron that day, said, "South Korea and France will continue close cooperation to swiftly restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and stability in the global supply chain."
On this remark as well, the official said it should not be interpreted as a discussion of troop deployment. The official repeatedly stressed that the South Korean government's position — including whether to deploy troops at all — has not yet been finalized.
Meanwhile, the official said South Korea has had working-level communication with Iran regarding the deployment issue.
He said, "Iranian working-level officials saw the media reports and asked us about our position on the deployment," adding that South Korea had conveyed its position that a review was underway and nothing had been decided.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei posted a statement in hangul on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday. In it, he said, "Any other country's military presence or participation in operations in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz can only be regarded as direct support for the party committing an act of aggression, and this will lead to serious consequences."
sang@heraldcorp.com
