KB News Desk
South Korea’s presidential office said Wednesday that the United States had not recently asked Seoul to deploy a warship to the Strait of Hormuz, denying a local media report.
Earlier that day, local daily Dong-A Ilbo reported that the Trump administration had recently requested that the South Korean government contribute assets, including a warship, amid renewed hostilities with Iran.
The United States has conducted daily strikes against Iran since July 8 in what it says is retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on commercial vessels in and near the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks have essentially shattered the tenuous ceasefire agreement reached between the two countries in June.
“Regarding the safety of international maritime transportation routes and freedom of navigation, the government has not recently received any request from the US to deploy a specific asset,” a presidential official said on condition of anonymity.
“We have continued to discuss relevant forms of cooperation with the US and are reviewing practical ways to contribute to freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” the official said.
The review takes into account “all relevant factors, including the readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula and procedures under domestic law,” the official added.
“Please understand that it is difficult to publicly disclose the details of communications between Korea and the US concerning military and security matters,” the official said.
South Korea has been reviewing a possible role in international efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, including the US-proposed Maritime Freedom Construct.
Seoul has already joined the Multinational Military Mission, a UK- and France-led defensive naval coalition aimed at securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as related efforts at the United Nations Security Council.
In April, President Lee Jae Myung also pledged to make a “tangible contribution” to ensuring safe passage through the strait during a multilateral summit chaired by the leaders of Britain and France.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back further said during a visit to the US in May that he had told US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Seoul would review possible contributions in phases to help ensure freedom of navigation through the strait.
