South Korea Dispatches Fact Finding Team to Strait of Hormuz Amid US Pressure

South Korea has dispatched an investigation team to the United Arab Emirates to assess the security situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The South Korean defense ministry announced the move on Tuesday, stating that the team departed over the weekend and is expected to return as early as this week. Ministry officials emphasized that the dispatch was not decided on the premise of military deployment and that no final decision on sending troops has been made. However, reports indicate the ministry is reviewing a list of military assets that could be deployed if necessary, including maritime patrol aircraft, bomb disposal experts, and sea mine detection equipment.

The move follows repeated pressure from US President Donald Trump for South Korea to contribute military assets to secure the shipping route during the US Iran war. According to reports, Trump previously claimed that South Korea had declined his requests. In response to this reluctance, the US scaled back joint military exercises with South Korea in August, reducing the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises from over 11 days to five. The US also cancelled another military exercise scheduled for September.

Iran has responded with warnings of serious consequences if South Korea participates in military operations in the Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei issued a statement, notably written in Korean, asserting that any military presence would be viewed as direct support for US aggression.

Domestic reactions in South Korea vary by political perspective. Left leaning reports highlight growing opposition from civic groups and progressive political parties who argue that deployment would make South Korea a target for retribution. Conversely, some members of the ruling Democratic Party have suggested that a noncombat deployment may be inevitable to protect Korean ships and maintain the alliance with the United States.