South Korea plans to expand the operations of its anti-piracy Cheonghae unit to waters closer to the Strait of Hormuz, the Defence Ministry said, following pressure from US President Donald Trump to provide support for the war in Iran.
– The government will submit a motion to parliament to extend the unit’s deployment to the Middle East, which is set to expire at the end of 2026, a ministry spokesperson said, confirming a report by Yonhap News Agency.
– The Cheonghae unit has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 to ensure safe navigation of commercial vessels.
– It currently includes a 4,400-ton-class destroyer, a maritime operations helicopter, up to three rigid-hull inflatable boats and around 300 service members, according to broadcaster YTN.
– The motion to be submitted to parliament, which needs to be approved by President Lee Jae Myung and the cabinet, would expand the unit’s area of operation to waters near the port of Duqm in Oman, which is about 650 km (403 miles) away from the strait.
– Seoul will also deploy a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and increase the unit’s personnel by 75, the Korea Herald reported.
– Trump has criticised Seoul for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war and scaled back major joint military drills by the two countries’ armed forces this summer, a move that unsettled the US ally.
– South Korea relies heavily on oil imports and sourced 70% of its supplies from the Middle East in 2025, most of it delivered through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Industry Ministry.
– Lee said on September 18 he would not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way that could draw the country into conflict, but said Seoul was reviewing playing a greater role in safeguarding navigation in the region.