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🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

South Korean Parties Split as Government Weighs Hormuz Deployment

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
  • South Korea’s government is reviewing the size, method and possible deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz.
  • The Democratic Party has withheld an official position, while ruling-party lawmakers warn that public opinion and broader diplomatic issues make the decision difficult.
  • The People Power Party urged caution but criticized the government for considering the deployment too late and requested an emergency parliamentary inquiry.

South Korea’s political parties are waiting for the government to decide whether to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz, and what form any deployment would take.

It is a very complicated issue.

· Democratic Party defense lawmakerThe lawmaker cited the North Korea-U.S. summit possibility, investment talks with Washington and public opinion.

The Democratic Party had not issued an official position by the 6th. A party leadership official said lawmakers first needed to wait for a decision from the presidential office and government. If the government approves a deployment and submits a consent motion to the National Assembly, the party would gather views through the parliamentary Defense Committee. A Democratic lawmaker on the committee said ruling-party members had not yet held a discussion on the issue.

The ruling camp faces an awkward choice. Public opinion is divided, and negative sentiment is expected to be particularly strong among its supporters. One ruling-party defense lawmaker said the issue required an extremely careful judgment, pointing to the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit, ongoing investment negotiations with Washington and the importance of public opinion. “It is a very complicated issue,” the lawmaker said.

If we send troops now, would we even hear anyone say thank you?

· Jang Dong-hyukThe People Power Party leader criticized the timing of the deployment review.

The People Power Party also called for caution, but criticized the timing of the government’s review. Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk wrote that sending troops now might not even earn thanks and would amount to barely escaping an embarrassing position. Spokesman Cho Yong-sul accused the Lee Jae-myung administration of watching the reactions of the United States, Iran and its hard-line supporters before ending up with “diplomacy that only earns abuse.”

It only became diplomacy that earns abuse.

· Cho Yong-sulThe party spokesman criticized the government’s handling of the deployment issue.

Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik said the government should disclose the situation around the Strait of Hormuz and South Korea-U.S. relations transparently. The party has requested an emergency question session in the parliamentary Defense Committee.

The government should transparently disclose the situation around the Strait of Hormuz and South Korea-U.S. relations.

· Jeong Jeom-sikThe People Power Party floor leader called for greater disclosure before any decision.
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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