Editorial: South Korea must begin serious debate on deploying forces to the Strait of Hormuz

South Korea faces a difficult choice over whether to deploy forces to the Strait of Hormuz as the military confrontation between the United States and Iran intensifies.

The Trump administration called on Seoul to decide quickly, saying on the 6th that it was waiting for the South Korean government to contribute resources. Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded the next day with a warning posted in Korean on social media: “Dangerous choices come with a price.”

For South Korea, which imports all of its crude oil and gas, the free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz is directly tied to the national interest. That gives Seoul a strong reason to protect the sea route. At the same time, President Donald Trump has repeatedly complained that South Korea accepts U.S. help without helping the United States in return.

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Dangerous choices come with a price.

The editorial warns that disagreements over a Hormuz deployment could further complicate already tangled relations following disputes over investment in the United States. Yet sending troops under American pressure and becoming the first country to conduct a joint operation with Washington in Hormuz would impose a heavy burden on South Korea.

Iran has said it would regard even a noncombat mission as “military aggression and participation in war” and has threatened to attack. The editorial argues that Seoul must now begin a serious discussion of the dilemma.

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military aggression and participation in war