Cheong Wa Dae Weighs Various Options Including Combat, Non-Combat, and Search for Strait of Hormuz Deployment

▲ Cheong Wa Dae

A Cheong Wa Dae official stated today (Sept. 4) regarding the possibility of overseas troop deployment as a military contribution to the Strait of Hormuz, "We are of the view that we can maneuver to a certain extent, provided there is no significant disruption to our defense posture for the Korean Peninsula."

Meeting with reporters, the official explained, "To make a substantive contribution in Hormuz, we must take into consideration our defense posture on the Korean Peninsula, and we are reviewing various aspects regarding that defense posture."

This implies that the government is deliberating with potential changes to the defense posture in mind if troops are dispatched, leading to interpretations that Cheong Wa Dae is effectively keeping the possibility of deployment quite open under review.

Furthermore, the official noted, "Our government has spoken multiple times about a substantive contribution. A substantive contribution includes a military contribution."

However, the official maintained a cautious stance, saying, "We are currently at the review stage (regarding ways to contribute to the Strait of Hormuz), and nothing has been decided."

The official explained, "When making such considerations, we are also taking into account domestic legal procedures. This ultimately means consultation with and consent from the National Assembly, though we have not yet reached that stage."

While there have been reports that the government is preparing to submit an agenda item to the National Security Council (NSC) and present a ratification consent bill to the National Assembly, this was interpreted to mean that, apart from internal government discussions, no concrete consultations have yet taken place with the National Assembly side.

In addition, the official emphasized that "military contribution" should not be interpreted as being limited solely to combat situations.

The official stated, "Military contributions include participating in combat, but there are various options such as non-combat and search operations. We are reviewing these comprehensively."

The official added, "Whether it is combat personnel or non-combat personnel, whether one person goes or two people go, once they are on site, it is defined as a deployment. When people hear deployment, they associate it with combat, but that may not necessarily be the case."

Cheong Wa Dae also reiterated through an official notice sent to the press, "Mentions of combat participation, non-combat, and search operations are general explanations regarding various options, and nothing has been decided concerning practical contribution measures."

(Photo: Provided by Gugak FM, Yonhap News)

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