South Korea Deeply Concerned Between U.S. and Iran... To Discuss Hormuz with Macron Tomorrow

[Anchor]

The South Korean government is finding itself in a deep dilemma between the United States, which is urging prompt deployment of support to the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran, which considers any troop dispatch as an act of war. President Lee Jae-myung, who has arrived in France to attend a summit, is likely to discuss the troop deployment issue with France, which faces a similar predicament.

Reporter Kang Min-u has the details.

[Reporter]

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

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 region and for free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

In particular, as President Lee Jae-myung, who is currently on a state visit to France, is scheduled to hold a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron tomorrow (the 8th), an official from the Cheong Wa Dae expects related discussions to take place between the two leaders.

President Macron previously presided over the "European-led Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz" initiative meeting last April, which President Lee also attended via video link.

However, participating in an international coalition is a completely different matter from responding to the U.S. request for troop deployment, meaning the government's agonized deliberation is expected to continue in consideration of domestic public opinion and other factors.

In the political sphere, while the Democratic Party has yet to release an official party stance, some lawmakers have individually voiced opposition. Meanwhile, the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Progressive Party, and the Justice Party have strongly demanded opposition to the troop dispatch.

The People Power Party criticized that the government has been caught in a "sandwich" squeeze while delaying decisions out of hesitation, yet it has stopped short of explicitly urging troop deployment, which is interpreted as an intention to monitor public sentiment.

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