South Korea Readies Hormuz Deployment Under Trump Pressure

South Korea is preparing a military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz to support freedom of navigation, several South Korean media outlets reported late Thursday, citing government and military sources — a shift that follows months of pressure from President Donald Trump over Seoul's refusal to help in the U.S. war with Iran.

Reuters, Bloomberg and the Japan Times all reported the preparations, which include readying a consent motion for South Korea's parliament as soon as this month.

South Korea's presidential Blue House pushed back, saying reports that the government had settled on a deployment were "different from the facts."

What Seoul Is Weighing

The options under consideration are a maritime patrol aircraft, a logistics support vessel or a mine detection and clearance unit, according to the reports. Seoul has been discussing the scale and nature of a contribution with the United States, the United Kingdom and France, and aims to dispatch forces before the end of the year.

The Chosun Ilbo, without identifying its sources, reported that Seoul notified Washington last month it was willing to send a naval ship and a maritime patrol aircraft, and began preparations to seek parliamentary approval. Roughly 150 troops would be needed to operate the ship and the aircraft, that report said.

Broadcaster SBS, citing an unidentified senior military official, said South Korea is in talks with foreign countries over ports of call and a base of operations for the envisioned deployment, and that the government may submit a motion to parliament as early as this month.