What is South Korea's position on sending troops to the Strait of Hormuz?

South Korea has not finalized its policy and is still cautiously assessing the issue. A presidential official said the government is reviewing several measures at the working level before making its own decision.

Why did the presidential office say Lee Jae Myung's talks with Emmanuel Macron were not a signal of deployment?

Seong Ghi-hong said the Paris summit was about working together to restore freedom of navigation in the strait, not about announcing a military dispatch. He said various measures are being reviewed carefully at the working level.

What did the presidential official say about U.S. pressure and the reported November deadline?

Seong said working-level discussions had leaked and led to exaggerated media reports. He also rejected the idea that the troop-deployment issue is tied to trade negotiations with Washington, saying Korea will decide on its own judgment.

Presidential office says no final decision on Hormuz Strait deployment

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Summary

Korea has not made a final decision on whether to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz, a presidential official said Wednesday amid U.S. pressure. Seong Ghi-hong said the government is still cautiously reviewing its policy and that working-level talks have leaked into media reports. He said President Lee Jae Myung’s talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday should not be read as a signal of military deployment. Seong also said the decision will be made by Korea’s own judgment, not trade talks with Washington.

Key Facts

The government recently sent a defense ministry team to the United Arab Emirates to assess conditions in the Strait of Hormuz.
A news report claimed Washington had asked Seoul to dispatch troops by November.
President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged in Paris on Tuesday to work together to restore freedom of navigation in the strait.
Seong Ghi-hong said the deployment issue is not linked to Seoul’s trade negotiations with Washington.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 9, 2026 8:27 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung delivers remarks at a luncheon meeting with Korean residents in Paris at a hotel in the French capital, Tuesday (local time). Yonhap

Korea has not yet made a final decision on whether to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz, a presidential official said Wednesday, amid U.S. pressure on Seoul to help secure the waterway.

"The government has not yet finalized its policy and is cautiously assessing it," Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, said in a YouTube interview.

Korea has been deliberating whether to join efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the conflict-stricken strait. It recently sent a team from the defense ministry to the United Arab Emirates to assess the situation.

The move has sparked speculation over a possible South Korean deployment, with a news report claiming Washington had asked Seoul to dispatch troops by November.

"While the government's final policy has yet to be decided, working-level discussions have leaked, leading to media reports that have gone too far," Seong said.

He also noted that President Lee Jae Myung's discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron on efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the strait should not be immediately interpreted as signaling a possible military deployment.

Lee held summit talks with Macron in Paris on Tuesday, where the two sides pledged to work together to restore freedom of navigation in the strait.

"It is a stage where various measures are being carefully reviewed at a working level," he said.

Seong also rejected the idea that the deployment issue could be linked to Seoul's trade negotiations with Washington, saying the decision on whether to deploy troops will be left to Korea's own judgment.

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