Iran Warns South Korea Against Strait of Hormuz Deployment; Seoul Gauges Public Sentiment

[Anchor]

Reports have emerged that a high-ranking Iranian official warned that any military deployment by South Korea to the Strait of Hormuz would be considered participation in the war. This has further complicated the calculations for the South Korean government, which is closely monitoring both domestic and international public sentiment regarding the deployment. Attention is also focused on whether this issue will be discussed during the summit between President Lee Jae-myung and French President Emmanuel Macron.

For our first report, we turn to reporter Kang Min-u.

[Reporter]

Al-Mayadeen, a pro-Hezbollah media outlet in Lebanon, reported on the 4th local time that a high-ranking Iranian official warned, "If South Korea takes actions against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, we will consider it a direct military aggression against Iran and participation in the war."

Iran's Fars News Agency also picked up and reported on the outlet's coverage.

In response to these reports, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "We are in close communication with the international community, including relevant countries, for the prompt restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East and free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

In particular, as President Lee Jae-myung departs today (the 6th) for a state visit to France to hold a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron the day after tomorrow, a Cheong Wa Dae official expects the related matter to be discussed between the two leaders.

President Macron previously hosted the "Strait of Hormuz Maritime Security Initiative" meeting in April, which President Lee also attended via video link.

However, participating in an international coalition is a completely different matter from responding to a military deployment requested by the United States, meaning the government is expected to continue its deep deliberations while taking domestic public sentiment into account.

In the political arena, the Democratic Party has yet to release an official party stance, though some lawmakers have individually voiced opposition. Meanwhile, the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Progressive Party, and the Justice Party have strongly urged opposition to the deployment.

The People Power Party criticized that the government has found itself caught in a "sandwich" squeeze while delaying a decision out of hesitation, yet it has stopped short of explicitly calling for a deployment, a move interpreted as an intent to monitor the flow of public opinion.

(Video reporting: Yoon Hyeong, Yang Ji-hoon | Video editing: Park Seon-su | Design: Park Tae-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.