Regarding South Korea's response to the United States' request for troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, Cheong Wa Dae stated on the 8th (local time) that "while the general direction for international cooperation has been set, the details are still under review and nothing has been decided."

Regarding the Ministry of National Defense dispatching an on-site investigation team, a Cheong Wa Dae official drew a line, saying it should be viewed as "part of the review process" and that neither deployment has been decided nor was the team sent based on the premise of deployment.

In response to a question about whether the deployment proposal could be discussed at the Standing Committee of the National Security Council (NSC) on the 17th, the official only said, "Since (specific directions) have not been decided, it is difficult to introduce a schedule."

The official mentioned that President Moon Jae-in and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the freedom of navigation and regional stability in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day, but pointed out that this should not be interpreted as "discussions on troop deployment."

This is interpreted as a reiteration that no conclusion has been reached yet on the South Korean government's stance, including whether to deploy troops, and that various possibilities remain open.

"President Moon discussed this with the understanding that the stability of the strait is particularly important, and with the position of concretizing ways to contribute based on national interests and public consensus," the official explained.

This effectively revealed the principle of using national interests and public opinion as the criteria for judgment on this issue.

Meanwhile, the official also shared that there has been working-level communication with the Iranian side regarding the deployment issue.

"Iran saw media reports and inquired with us at the working level about our stance on deployment," the official explained, adding that they conveyed the South Korean government's position that "we are reviewing the matter and nothing has been decided."