South Korea has reiterated that "no decision has been made" within its Government regarding the request from the United States to deploy military personnel in the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities have added that "it is even difficult to propose a timeline" and have insisted that the conversation held this Tuesday in Paris between South Korean President, Lee Jae Myung, and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, about the situation in the strait should not be understood as a "discussion about the deployment of troops".
The message has been conveyed by South Korean National Security Advisor, Wi Sung Lac, at the end of the joint press conference held by Macron and Lee. Wi has pointed out that the Élysée and the Blue House will continue to collaborate to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
"President Lee has addressed the issue based on the premise of specifying contribution measures based on national interests and public consensus, recognizing the special importance of stability in the strait," Wi emphasized, noting that any decision will be made cautiously.
These statements come after on Monday the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, warned of "serious consequences" if South Korea were to carry out a military deployment in the Middle East, warning that Tehran would interpret it as "a direct support" to the United States.
The national security advisor has also indicated that contact has already been made with Iranian authorities following the information published in their press. "After seeing information in the Iranian media, operational-level officials asked us," he explained, referring to the possibility of sending South Korean troops. In response to these inquiries, Seoul stated that it is "reviewing the matter and nothing has been decided," he specified.
France and South Korea seal eight strategic agreements
In a statement released by the Blue House after the bilateral summit, Wi himself detailed that the conversation between Lee and Macron about the strait took place during a private lunch in which both leaders "transcended bilateral issues and exchanged views on internationally significant matters," including the situation of the maritime corridor and "the war in Ukraine".
"Thanks to this, the two leaders expanded their consensus on key issues and discussed measures for strategic cooperation, thus further consolidating the global strategic partnership between both countries," adds the text, which emphasizes the strengthening of political coordination between Paris and Seoul.
The official trip of the South Korean president to the French capital has also served to formalize the signing of eight agreements and memorandums of understanding related to "areas such as defense, aviation, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum technologies, nuclear energy, industrial competitiveness, intellectual property, the space sector, and cultural cooperation." These instruments seek to deepen technological and industrial collaboration between the two powers.
Furthermore, both governments have decided to "initiate a high-level dialogue on civil nuclear energy, addressing the proposal made by President Macron last April," Wi added, highlighting the willingness to advance in joint projects in this sector.