"Nothing Has Been Decided Yet"... Used as a Turning Point Card for Pending Issues?

[Anchor]

The presidential office stated, "Nothing has been decided yet." Amid persistent pressure from President Trump for troop deployment, it appears to be holding deployment as a "turning point card" to resolve pending issues between South Korea and the United States. Voices of opposition immediately erupted from the pan-ruling camp.

Reporting from Kim Hye-young.

[Reporter]

A high-ranking official at the presidential office said today (September 4) that "practical contributions in the Strait of Hormuz include military contributions," adding that maneuvers are possible as long as there is no significant damage to the defense posture on the Korean Peninsula.

This implies that the possibility of troop deployment remains open.

However, the official emphasized that "nothing has been decided yet" and that it is still in the stage of reviewing various options such as combat, non-combat, and search operations.

The official also noted that it has not yet reached the stage of preparing a consent motion to be submitted to the National Assembly.

Following a series of recent complaints raised by U.S. President Trump against South Korea,

[Trump / U.S. President (local time August 17): When I asked, 'Would you mind helping us a little bit?', 'We don't necessarily need help with Iran, but if you want to, please help us out,' (President Lee Jae-myung) declined, saying, 'I will pass.']

As a deadlock continues with no clear answers on major pending issues between South Korea and the U.S., such as investment in the U.S. and security consultations, some analysts inside and outside the government suggest that the "Hormuz deployment card" could turn South Korea-U.S. relations around.

While President Trump has demanded Hormuz support from various allies and many countries remain cautious about military participation, South Korea's preemptive participation could be utilized as a political achievement for Trump, potentially creating a favorable environment for South Korea in return.

The problem is the turbulent domestic political landscape.

Back in 2004, when the Roh Moo-hyun administration deployed the Zaytun Unit to Iraq at the request of the United States, fierce debates for and against the deployment broke out within the then-ruling party and progressive circles.

Voices of opposition have already erupted from parts of the pan-ruling camp today.

Lawmaker Lee Ki-heon, a former presidential secretary under the Moon Jae-in administration, stated, "Even if it is a non-combat force, its essence is clearly 'participation in war,' and if a request for consent to deploy troops comes to the National Assembly, I will not consent." Cho Innovation Party Floor Leader Kim Jun-hyung said, "Troop deployment is a line that must never be crossed."

The government's deliberation deepens over whether to risk public controversy and political burden to find a breakthrough in South Korea-U.S. relations.

(Camera Reporter: Jung Sang-bo, Video Editor: Choi Jin-hwa, Design: Lee Jong-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.