South Korea prepares to deploy troops to Strait of Hormuz

South Korea is preparing to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz as part of an international force aimed at keeping the strait open for maritime traffic, according to South Korean media.

The South Korean government is preparing to submit a motion to the National Assembly for consent to move troops out of Korea.

The government told JTBC News that they were "reviewing deployment plans" with the goal of stabilizing the Strait of Hormuz and protecting South Korean shipping. The government said it expects the motion to pass quickly.

However, even if the bill moves rapidly through the Korean parliament, the final vote is expected to align with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's anticipated visit to the UN General Assembly between September 18-28, according to the Korean East Asia Daily (Dong-A Ilbo).

Despite the resolve to deploy, the South Korean government has not yet decided on the specifics of the deployment, including assets and personnel.

South Korea's anti-piracy naval force is already in the Gulf of Aden to ward off Somali pirates and has been deployed to the region since 2009.

US President Donald Trump requested that South Korea send warships to the Strait of Hormuz as early as March. Prior to the closure of the strait, South Korea purchased approximately 70% of its oil from the Middle East.

This move comes despite a deterioration in relations between Israel and South Korea, following President Lee's condemnation of the detention of Gaza Freedom Flotilla activists, including prominent South Korean activist Kim Ah-hyun.

President Lee also received strong condemnation from Israel's Foreign Ministry in April after sharing a video claiming to show Israeli troops torturing and murdering a Palestinian child, saying that what the IDF was doing was "no different from the Jewish massacre" by the Nazis. His remarks came on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day.