COVER STORY Seoul to send anti-piracy unit closer to Hormuz, add mine-clearing team

The government decided Thursday to expand the mission of its anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit closer to the Strait of Hormuz, extending its operating area from the Gulf of Aden to waters south of Oman and adding military assets to protect shipping routes.

The move is sparking concerns that it could draw Korea into the war between Iran and the United States.

The expansion proposal passed a vice ministerial meeting Thursday morning. After Cabinet and presidential approval, the motion will go to the National Assembly for final authorization.

Under the proposal, the unit’s personnel ceiling would rise from 320 to 395, with the addition of a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team and unmanned mine-clearing equipment.

The additional 75 personnel would include 45 assigned to the P-8 aircraft and 30 to the EOD team. The new equipment would include unmanned surface and underwater vehicles and remotely operated underwater robots.

The revised mandate would also add support for restoring freedom of navigation along international shipping routes to the unit’s existing anti-piracy and vessel protection duties. The deployment would run through Dec. 31, 2027, subject to parliamentary approval.

The expansion plan has drawn criticism and pushback. Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the Rebuilding Korea Party warned Wednesday that an accidental clash could be seen as entry into the war.

“Even if we claim an assignment is a noncombat mission, the other side may still view us as an entity to enter the war, and an accidental clash could spiral into irreversible military intervention,” Kim said.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), meanwhile, refuted the claim.

“The operational area of the unit does not even reach the Strait of Hormuz,” said Rep. Jeon Eun-su, spokesperson for the DPK. “While some raise concerns that this amounts to a de facto military deployment to the Hormuz, I want to emphasize once again that this is not the case.”

The Ministry of National Defense said the expansion was needed as piracy has increased off the coast of Somalia, partly because multinational naval forces had shifted toward the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea amid conflicts in the region.

According to the ministry, reported piracy incidents rose from 11 in 2025 to 36 so far this year, while pirates' activity has spread toward waters south of Oman.

The ministry emphasized that the expanded mission would not involve Korea in the ongoing war involving Iran and the United States.

“We will not participate in or intervene in the war under any circumstances,” a defense ministry official said.

The official said the unit would operate only in waters south of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, and remain under the command of Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

However, the ministry acknowledged that deploying the EOD team and mine-clearing equipment would also help personnel gain experience for possible future operations to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have not ruled that out and have taken it into account in our operational planning, but it is not the primary objective,” the official said.

Any future deployment to the strait would require separate parliamentary approval and safe operating conditions, such as an end to the war or an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Ban Kil-joo, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said the government chose to expand the Cheonghae Unit’s role to avoid the legal and political burden of a new overseas dispatch.

“Leveraging the existing Cheonghae Unit deployment could resolve the situation. It carries potential to contribute to the Korea-U.S. alliance and fulfills international security expectations as Korea aims to become a globally pivotal state,” Ban said.

However, he cautioned that risks still remain that the unit could come under attack, emphasizing the need to prepare defensive measures.

“Since the operation area extends to the waters south of Oman, we cannot rule out the possibility that Iran might target the Cheonghae Unit — whether intentionally or by accident — so the unit would need protection against ballistic missiles and drones,” he said.

Ban also argued that Seoul should use the expanded mission as leverage in talks with Washington.

“If the contribution helps keep the strait open, the government should tie it to issues such as U.S. investment pressure, OPCON (Operational Control) transfer and progress on nuclear-powered submarines.”

The P-8 aircraft is expected to operate from Djibouti, although its exact base has yet to be determined. Additional personnel and equipment would be dispatched after parliamentary approval and consultations with Djibouti.

The Cheonghae Unit has operated in the Gulf of Aden since 2009, escorting commercial vessels and conducting anti-piracy missions.