OMM Newsroom
South Korea has decided to extend the operational area of its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit closer to the Strait of Hormuz, the Defense Ministry said Thursday, according to Anadolu Agency.
The expansion will also involve sending additional military assets to the region, public broadcaster KBS reported.
The unit will gain 75 personnel, bringing its total strength to 395, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Seoul has been reviewing the possibility of deploying forces to the Strait of Hormuz for several months. However, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ruled out sending combat troops, saying the country would not deploy military personnel in a way that could draw it into an overseas conflict.
The ministry said it plans to seek Cabinet review and presidential approval before submitting a motion on the change to the National Assembly.
The Strait of Hormuz has been at the center of the conflict between the United States and Iran since the US and Israel launched military operations against Tehran in February.
The Cheonghae unit has been deployed since 2009, and its mandate requires annual parliamentary approval. It has operated mainly in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia, as well as in contingency zones designated to protect South Korean citizens, KBS reported.
The ministry’s planned motion would extend the unit’s area of operations to the southern tip of Oman’s Duqm Port, about 650 kilometers (403.8 miles) from the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report.
Planned reinforcements include a “P-8A Poseidon” maritime patrol aircraft, various unmanned mine-countermeasure assets and an explosive ordnance disposal team, KBS reported.
