[Anchor]
The government has decided to nearly double the operational area of the Cheonghae Unit deployed to the Gulf of Aden, extending it to a location approximately 650 kilometers in a straight line from the Strait of Hormuz. A maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal team will also be additionally dispatched.
Reporter Kim Min-jun explains in detail.
[Reporter]
The Cheonghae Unit has been deployed to the waters of the Gulf of Aden off Somalia since 2009 to carry out anti-piracy operations.
It became widely known for "Operation Dawn" in 2011, when it rescued all 21 crew members held by pirates, including Captain Seok Hae-gyun.
Its deployment has been extended annually with the consent of the National Assembly, and a revised motion to expand its operational area and reinforce its forces has passed the Vice-Ministers' Meeting.
The Cheonghae Unit has thus far operated centered on the Gulf of Aden, utilizing the Port of Djibouti to the west and the Port of Salalah in Oman to the east as operational bases.
This revised plan extends the operational scope to the southern tip of the Port of Duqm in southern Oman, nearly doubling the mission area from the previous 1,100 kilometers.
The government cited the void in international maritime security caused by clashes between pro-Iranian Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, along with a sharp rise in piracy in the Gulf of Aden, as the reasons for the revision.
The Strait of Hormuz, which is more than 600 kilometers away in a straight line from the Port of Duqm, as well as the Gulf of Oman, are not included in this newly expanded mission zone.
Equipment and military capabilities will also be reinforced.
One state-of-the-art P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, known as a "submarine killer," will be deployed for reconnaissance missions.
Unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and unmanned probes designed to search for and eliminate sea mines have also been added alongside an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team. Given that this is primarily a pirate activity area where mines are difficult to encounter, this step is interpreted as a move made with the Strait of Hormuz in mind.
The total number of personnel will increase from 320 to 395, with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean military exercising command.
Although a mission to "support restoring freedom of navigation on international maritime sea lines of communication" was added to the revised plan, a new deployment consent motion from parliament is required to commit the Cheonghae Unit to operations such as mine-clearing missions in the Strait of Hormuz.
(Video by Lee Seung-jin | Graphics by Hwang Se-yeon)
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