South Korea to Join US-Led Coalition in Strait of Hormuz

SEOUL (HRNW) – South Korea will send a navy dispatch to the Strait of Hormuz early next year where it will join a US-led coalition opposing Iranian influence in the critical oil shipping lanes, Joongang Ilbo reported Wednesday. Yonhap News Agency has cited government sources as saying that the Cheonghae anti-piracy unit, patroling the Indian Ocean off the Horn of Africa as part of the multinational Combined Task Force 151, will be ordered to join the coalition. The country’s National Security Council decided against deploying a separate unit to join the coalition, but instead to expand the operation of a task force already in the region. According to Korean media, this move would allow Seoul to maintain relations with Tehran while at the same time falling in line with US demands.