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🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

Calls Grow to Reject Hormuz Deployment as South Korean Government Considers Sending Troops

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Civil society groups and opposition parties are urging the South Korean government to abandon consideration of a military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
  • The groups oppose all military support, including noncombat personnel, saying participation in a U.S.-led operation would draw South Korea into the war.
  • The ruling Democratic Party has withheld an official position, while lawmaker Park Jie-won said a noncombat deployment might be unavoidable to protect South Korean ships and ties with the United States.

South Korean civil society groups and political parties are pressing the government not to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz, warning that even a noncombat deployment would involve the country in a war.

A coalition of 108 organizations held a news conference outside the presidential office in Seoul on July 7 and called for the government to withdraw its consideration of the deployment. Civic groups in Gyeonggi province held a separate protest, following a demonstration by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions two days earlier.

The moment South Korea participates in a U.S.-led military operation in any way, it becomes part of the military order of war.

· Hwang Jeong-eunThe International Strategy Center official opposed any South Korean military support for operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

The groups oppose any military support, including the dispatch of noncombat personnel. Hwang Jeong-eun of the International Strategy Center said that joining a U.S.-led military operation in any form would place South Korea within the military order of war. Gyeonggi groups said the government should prioritize the lives of its citizens and peace on the Korean Peninsula rather than automatically following U.S. military strategy.

We have no choice but to send some noncombat troops, considering the protection of our ships in the Strait of Hormuz and our relationship with the United States.

· Park Jie-wonThe ruling-party lawmaker argued that a limited deployment could be unavoidable.

The opposition Rebuilding Korea Party and Progressive Party also called for the discussions to stop. Rebuilding Korea Party leader Shin Jang-sik said his party would clearly oppose the deployment at every stage. The Progressive Party warned that sending troops could expose South Korean service members, Korean nationals and companies in the Middle East, ships and U.S. bases on South Korean territory to retaliation and terrorism.

The Democratic Party, the ruling party, has avoided a formal response while waiting for the government’s decision. But five-term lawmaker Park Jie-won told SBS radio that South Korea might have no choice but to send noncombat troops, given the need to protect its ships in the strait and consider relations with the United States. Several parties had already submitted a parliamentary resolution on March 20 opposing troop deployments and military intervention in conflict zones in the Middle East, including Hormuz.

We will clearly oppose it at every stage if a troop deployment is pursued.

· Shin Jang-sikThe Rebuilding Korea Party leader stated his opposition to the proposed deployment.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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