Military contribution as part of US-led MFC floated

Park Sung-joon: 'Party's decision on deployment must be final position'

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, captured by drone [Reuters]
Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, captured by drone [Reuters]

The government is weighing whether to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz at Washington's request. A military survey team dispatched to the region is reportedly set to visit Bahrain after the UAE. Sending troops as part of the US-led Maritime Freedom Coalition, or MFC, is being discussed as a concrete option for South Korea's military contribution. But opposition to the deployment — including from within the ruling camp — is adding pressure to the government's decision.

According to political sources Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense's on-site survey team visited Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The team is reportedly headed next to Bahrain, home to a task force under the US Navy-led Combined Maritime Forces.

In response, the Defense Ministry said, "Our government is closely consulting with the international community on practical ways to contribute to the swift restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and to peace and stability in the Middle East, but no decision has been made on the specific form of contribution."

A Defense Ministry official had earlier said the survey team's purpose was to assess the security situation and circumstances in the region. The official stressed that the trip was not premised on an actual troop deployment. The official said the team had indeed been sent to the Middle East to help inform a possible deployment decision. But that did not mean Seoul had decided to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz.

Amid this, if South Korea does deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz, one option under discussion is making a military contribution as part of the US-led MFC. The Donald Trump administration has set November — when the US midterm elections take place — as a deadline for the deployment. But a British- and French-led multinational task force will take longer to become fully operational. As a result, officials are discussing joining the US-led operation first and cooperating with the multinational task force later.

However, opposition to the deployment has been growing louder among the broader ruling camp and civic groups, adding to the pressure on the government's decision. On Wednesday, Rep. Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea argued that the deployment lacks even the justification cited for the Iraq War. Rep. Kim Byung-joo, who leads the ruling party's side on the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, said South Korea should not be dragged along unilaterally by US demands. A total of 601 civic groups, including People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, held a press conference opposing the push for deployment.

That day, Park Sung-joon, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on SBS Radio, "Given how significant the diplomatic repercussions and domestic public backlash could be over an issue like troop deployment, whatever the party decides must be its final position." He added, "If we discuss this piecemeal ahead of time, it would be like pouring oil on a fire, so we need to be careful."

A troop deployment plan must be reviewed at a Cabinet meeting and approved by the president before being submitted to the National Assembly. There, it must clear deliberation by the National Defense Committee and a vote in the plenary session. Passage requires a majority of registered lawmakers present and a majority of those present in favor. The Democratic Party of Korea, which holds 161 seats, could pass it on its own.

However, there are concerns within the ruling camp that the split seen over the Roh Moo-hyun administration's 2003 decision to send troops to Iraq could repeat itself. Then-President Roh, addressing the National Assembly, called for swift approval, saying a firm South Korea-US partnership was necessary. But the vote was tightly divided: of the 96 Democratic Party lawmakers who took part, 49 voted in favor, 43 opposed and four abstained.


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