South Korea says sending warship to Strait of Hormuz would require parliamentary approval

South Korea’s Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back confirmed that any deployment of a warship to the Strait of Hormuz would require parliamentary approval, with no current plans to send naval forces to the region.

Reuters

March 17, 2026

South Korea says sending warship to Strait of Hormuz would require parliamentary approval

FILE PHOTO: Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026.

Reuters

South Korea's Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Tuesday that sending a warship to the Strait of Hormuz would require parliamentary approval.

Seoul is not considering sending its Cheonghae unit's warship called ROKS Dae Jo-yeong to the Strait of Hormuz, Ahn said.

South Korea already has some forces in the Middle East after deploying the Cheonghae unit in 2009 to escort its merchant vessels sailing near the Somali coast in anti-piracy operations.

-Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim, Hyunjoo Jin and Joyce LeeEditing by Ed Davies/Reuters