Cargo ships near the Strait of Hormuz are viewed from a distance near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Friday. AP-Yonhap
Korea’s commitment to freedom of navigation at the Strait of Hormuz has become complicated as the United States has proposed a new initiative for this purpose, while Seoul remains engaged in separate talks for a coalition led by the United Kingdom and France.
With President Lee Jae Myung promising Korea’s “practical contribution” to ensuring maritime security in the strait, the government is expected to weigh participation in the two separate initiatives by considering their diplomatic, economic and military impacts.
A Ministry of National Defense official said Saturday that the government would “carefully review its position concerning the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC),” referring to the new U.S. initiative announced last week to ensure safe passage of ships through the strait.
A vital energy shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked by Iran since the U.S.-Israel war against Iran began on Feb. 28. Around 70 percent of Korea’s imported crude oil passes through the strait.
“We are taking into account relevant issues in a comprehensive manner, including international law, the safety of international sea lanes, the Korea-U.S. alliance, the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures,” the defense ministry official said.
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said that the government is “continuously communicating with the U.S. about the strait.”
Seoul’s review comes after the U.S. Department of State sent a letter to U.S. embassies worldwide outlining the coalition and requesting the countries’ participation in MFC.
The initiative is jointly led by the State Department and the Pentagon, in the latest attempt by the Donald Trump administration to wrest control of the strait from Iran as global energy prices soar amid stagnant peace talks.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the MFC a “critical first step in the establishment of a postconflict maritime security architecture for the Middle East.”
Source: Korea Times News
