Even though this is about as minimal military support the Blue House could have provided to the U.S. for the Strait of Hormuz mission, the Korean left is still predictably upset about it:
Members of civic groups hold a news conference in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday, to oppose the government’s decision to send the Cheonghae unit to the Strait of Hormuz. Yonhap
The progressive Justice Party made clear its firm opposition to the government’s decision.
“The deployment of the Cheonghae unit to the Strait of Hormuz can lead to hostile relations with Iran, so I cannot agree with it. In addition, the decision means the unit’s mission has changed, so the National Assembly has to decide whether to approve the plan,” Justice Party Chairwoman Sim Sang-jeung said.
Party for Democracy and Peace Spokeswoman Rep. Park Joo-hyun also said, “The dispatch means Korea will join a war between the United States and Iran without any justification and it will eventually end up with hostile ties with traditional ally, Iran.
You can read more at the link, but when did Iran become an ally of South Korea? Iran has an important economic relationship due to its oil, but is hardly an ally that would defend South Korea. In fact Iran has had an important military relationshipwith North Korea for many years; the very country that tried to destroy the ROK during the Korean War and continues to be committed to the overthrow of South Korean democracy.
Then again to some members of the Korean left anyone assisting North Korea is considered an ally.
Here is the Moon administration’s policy on sending forces to protect navigation in the Straits of Hormuz:
In this Nov. 19, 2019, file photo, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, left, the air-defense destroyer HMS Defender and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut transit the Strait of Hormuz. AFP-Yonhap
Presidential Chief of Staff Noh Young-min said Thursday that the government could seek its own way to protect the lives and properties of Koreans in the Strait of Hormuz rather than participating in a U.S.-led naval coalition policing the region.
His remarks came amid Washington’s increasing pressure on Seoul to participate in the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), a coalition of countries including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the U.K. and Bahrain sending naval units to the area to safeguard navigation. Korea has been put in a dilemma over whether to join the maritime mission amid recently heightened tensions in the Middle East in the wake of the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iran’s retaliatory attack on U.S. bases in Iraq.
“We have not yet decided on whether to participate as a member of IMSC,” Noh said during an interview with CBS radio, Thursday. “But the government is reviewing possible ways to protect the lives and properties of our people and companies in the Middle East amid the recent political turmoil there … Such a review is progressing considerably.”
You can read more at the link, but Korea’s policy appears to be we will keep thinking about this so we don’t have to make a tough decision. In the meantime we will let the U.S. military do the dirty work of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
