President Lee Jae-myung said on September 18 that South Korea would not make a troop deployment that involved the country in a war, as the government considers how to respond to security concerns around the Strait of Hormuz. Lee said Korea still has to carry out minimum activities needed to protect its nationals, commercial vessels and crude oil transport routes.
The government is considering whether the Cheonghae Unit's mission should be strengthened within those limits. Lee's remarks draw a distinction between protective activity and direct participation in a conflict, while leaving the operational details under review. For Korea, the issue is tied to the safety of citizens and shipping as well as the country's dependence on seaborne energy supplies moving through the region.