By Kyu-seok Shim
SEOUL, Sept 9 (Reuters) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed cooperation on security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during a summit in Paris on Tuesday, but the talks did not concern troop deployment, Seoul’s presidential office said.
Lee, who is on a state visit to France, said at a joint press conference that he had discussed the Strait of Hormuz with Macron as part of wider talks on international security issues.
“South Korea and France agreed to continue close coordination so that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the stability of global supply chains can be restored swiftly,” Lee said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy transit route for South Korea, which relied on the waterway for 61% of its crude oil imports and 54% of its naphtha imports last year.
In a briefing after the summit, South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said discussions focused on how South Korea could contribute to international maritime security efforts in the strait rather than on troop deployment.
“We are still in the review stage,” Wi said, regarding Seoul’s contribution options. “No decision has been made.”
Wi said Iran had sought explanations through diplomatic channels following media reports about a possible South Korean role in Hormuz security efforts.
He dismissed suggestions that Seoul’s review of Hormuz contribution options was linked to U.S. investment discussions.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it had sent an inspection team to the United Arab Emirates to assess security conditions in the region, stressing that the mission was intended to gather information and did not presuppose a troop deployment.
Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday that the team was examining conditions for potential P-8 maritime patrol aircraft operations at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, although the defence ministry said it could not confirm matters related to force deployment and operations.
Any military deployment would require approval by South Korea’s parliament. South Korean media have reported that the issue could be discussed at a National Security Council meeting on September 17, although Wi said no specific course of action had been decided.
The presidential office separately denied reports that the U.S. had set a deadline for Seoul to dispatch assets to Hormuz.
Seoul said last week it was reviewing various options, including military measures, to contribute to freedom of navigation in Hormuz, while denying reports a deployment decision had already been made.
The announcement followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision in August to scale back U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, which he said was partly because South Korea had declined to assist Washington in the U.S.-Iran conflict.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned this week that any South Korean military participation in operations in the Gulf or Strait of Hormuz would be regarded as support for U.S. “aggression” and would carry serious consequences.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim; Editing by Jamie Freed and Ed Davies)
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