SEOUL: South Korea is reviewing a phased contribution to efforts to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Wednesday, pointing to support measures that stop short of military involvement, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Ahn said at a news conference with South Korean media correspondents in Washington that he had conveyed Seoul’s position in a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday.
“At this level we said that, fundamentally, we will participate as a responsible member of the international community and that we will review ways to contribute gradually,” Ahn said, according to Yonhap.
Ahn said possible forms of gradual support could include expressions of political support, personnel dispatches, information sharing and provision of military assets, while emphasizing that no detailed discussions had been held on expanding the involvement of South Korean troops.
“There was no deep discussion about something like specifically expanding the involvement of our military,” he said, adding that any decision would have to follow internal legal procedures.
Attack on a South Korean ship
The meeting between the defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States came a day after Seoul reported an attack on a South Korean-flagged ship near the Strait of Hormuz last week.
South Korea’s presidential office strongly condemned the incident but said it was still investigating responsibility for the attack.
At the meeting, Hegseth said Washington expected allies to “stand shoulder to shoulder” amid growing global threats, citing US President Donald Trump’s authorization of what he called Operation Epic Fury as proof of the administration’s resolve.
He praised Seoul’s plans to increase defense spending and take greater responsibility for the security of the Korean Peninsula, calling it an example of burden-sharing by the alliance.
Separately, Ahn told reporters that Hegseth expressed his understanding of South Korea’s position on a conditions-based transfer of US wartime operational control (OPCON), and the goal of completing the transition at an early date.
According to Yonhap, Ahn also said the two sides exchanged views on other alliance issues, including plans to build nuclear-powered submarines.
He said that during the talks there was no discussion about a reduction in US forces stationed in South Korea or about the strategic flexibility of US troops stationed in the country.
