Curious about South Korea's possible troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz? Dive into the latest updates, political twists, and the real reasons behind this bold move! We break down what it means for Korea, the US, and the whole region. Don't miss out—subscribe for more fresh takes and tell us in the comments what stood out to you the most! #news #politics #SouthKorea #military #currentevents
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0:00 - South Korea Considers Troop Deployment
0:28 - Military Preparations and Assets Involved
1:23 - Political Steps and Approval Process
2:22 - Political Risks and Public Opinion
3:11 - US Pressure and Changing Government Stance
3:52 - Operational Risks and Mission Challenges
6:26 - Strategic Purpose and International Implications
7:49 - Conclusion and Hopes for Safe Return
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@센서스튜디오
0:00 - South Korea Considers Troop Deployment
0:28 - Military Preparations and Assets Involved
1:23 - Political Steps and Approval Process
2:22 - Political Risks and Public Opinion
3:11 - US Pressure and Changing Government Stance
3:52 - Operational Risks and Mission Challenges
6:26 - Strategic Purpose and International Implications
7:49 - Conclusion and Hopes for Safe Return
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NewsTranscript
00:00As a result, South Korea is currently considering sending troops to the Strait of Hormuz.
00:03Of course, there are still many decisions to be made,
00:05such as getting approval from the National Assembly
00:06and deciding which unit should be dispatched.
00:08If the deployment is made official this time,
00:10it will be the first time in about 20 years
00:11that South Korea sends troops at the request of the United States
00:13since the deployment to Iraq during the Romuhayun administration in 2003.
00:17Originally, our government maintained the position
00:19that troops would only be dispatched after the current Middle East War ended
00:22or a ceasefire was reached.
00:23However, recently, the government changed its stance.
00:25Even though the war is ongoing, they are now preparing to send troops.
00:28A key official in the Ministry of National Defense
00:30has stated that they are making concrete preparations
00:32to deploy naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz.
00:36We have also confirmed that the Navy is making concrete preparations
00:39for deployment to the Strait of Hormuz
00:40and that preparations are underway regarding how to get to the Strait of Hormuz.
00:44Currently, the military's deployment forces are said to include
00:46the P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft,
00:48a naval logistics support ship,
00:50and an explosive ordnance disposal team.
00:51It is said that the underwater demolition team will be included in the EOD team.
00:54Currently, the military is continuing preparations for mine clearance.
00:57The Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft is expected to be tasked
01:00with monitoring Iranian surface ships and submarines.
01:02The EOD team is expected to conduct joint operations
01:05with foreign naval vessels and continue mine clearance and disposal tasks.
01:08In addition, the logistics support ship is expected to play a role
01:10in providing rear support for the Maritime Patrol aircraft and the EOD team.
01:13The government has already informed the United States
01:15of its intention to dispatch the new logistics support ship Soyang
01:18and the P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft.
01:20They are reportedly in discussions about specific plans.
01:23The military is reportedly already in talks and negotiations
01:25with neighboring countries regarding bases and operational sites.
01:28Since the patrol aircraft and logistics support ship
01:30cannot go directly to the Strait of Hormuz,
01:32they will have to stop at foreign bases.
01:34Also, during the operation period,
01:35airports and ports in neighboring countries will be needed for logistical support,
01:38so it seems that discussions are underway with allied countries.
01:40In the end, internal reviews are ongoing,
01:41and a motion for troop deployment is expected to be submitted
01:43to the National Assembly soon.
01:44For the actual troop deployment, decisions by the National Security Council,
01:47NSC approval by the Cabinet, and consent from the National Assembly are required.
01:50In particular, for the bill to pass the plenary session of the National Assembly,
01:53more than half of the registered members must be present,
01:55and more than half of those present must vote in favor.
01:57Currently, the composition of the National Assembly is as follows.
01:59The Democratic Party of Korea has 161 seats.
02:01The People Power Party has 109 seats.
02:02The Rebuilding Korea Party has 12 seats.
02:04The Progressive Party has 4 seats.
02:05The Reform Party has 3 seats.
02:06The Basic Income Party has 1 seat.
02:07The Social Democratic Party has 1 seat.
02:08And there are 8 independents.
02:09Therefore, the ruling party alone can push the deployment through.
02:11Also, since some members of the People Power Party have previously shown support for troop
02:14deployment, this is something we should pay attention to as well.
02:17Many media outlets are saying that, as early as September,
02:20the motion for troop deployment could be submitted to the National Assembly.
02:22It is expected that President Li J. Meng will visit the United Nations General Assembly
02:25from September 18th to 28th,
02:27and it seems that they are trying to coordinate actions to coincide with this timing.
02:30If the National Assembly also gives its consent,
02:32we will be sending troops at the request of the United States
02:33for the first time in 22 years
02:35since the deployment of the Zaytun Unit to Iraq in 2004.
02:38The exact scale of the deployment has not been confirmed yet.
02:40However, for logistics support and initial equipment operation,
02:43at least 150 troops are needed.
02:44Of course, the deployment won't happen right away.
02:47Even during the Iraq deployment,
02:48the National Assembly's ratification was postponed twice.
02:51There will also be a lot of public backlash.
02:53First of all, I'm curious about your thoughts,
02:55so please let me know in the comments whether you support or oppose the deployment.
02:58There will definitely be significant public opinion against the deployment.
03:01On top of that, from the government's perspective,
03:03sending troops itself is a huge political gamble,
03:06and since President Li J. Meng's approval rating is also continuing to decline,
03:09it's hard for them to risk deploying troops.
03:12Then why did the government suddenly change its stance like this?
03:15Actually, the biggest reason is because of pressure from the United States.
03:18According to government sources,
03:20the pressure from the U.S. is very strong right now.
03:22President Trump even called Korea a free rider before.
03:25President Trump said that the United States is stationing 40,000 troops
03:29to protect South Korea from Kim Jong-un,
03:31and questioned whether Korea wouldn't even help
03:33with a very simple military operation in Iran.
03:35At the end of last month,
03:37he also said that Korea refused a request to help with the Iran issue
03:39and that he would remember this.
03:40And there was also an unprecedented event
03:42where the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises
03:44were scaled down while they were underway.
03:46Because of this,
03:46it seems that the government decided to send troops out of a sense of crisis
03:49to prevent further deterioration of South Korea-U.S. relations.
03:52At the Blue House,
03:52officials met with reporters and said that
03:54in order to make a practical contribution in the Hormuz Strait,
03:57they are considering various options
03:58regarding the readiness posture on the Korean peninsula.
04:01In fact, this means they are considering the changes in readiness posture
04:03in the event of troop deployment.
04:04It also means that they are leaving open a significant possibility of sending troops.
04:07However, the Blue House said that they are currently in the review stage
04:10regarding ways to contribute in the Strait of Hormuz
04:12and that nothing has been decided yet.
04:13They also stated that,
04:14when considering these options,
04:16they are following domestic legal procedures.
04:18And they stated that they are reviewing the option
04:20of deploying our troops to the Hormuz Strait
04:21according to proper procedures.
04:23Fortunately, our troops will not be going in alone.
04:25The UK and France are also continuing to review the deployment of their troops,
04:29and it seems that we are considering deployment
04:30together with several Western allies such as the UK and France.
04:33But there is an important point we need to consider here.
04:36Even if the forces the government is considering are non-combat assets,
04:39a non-combat deployment does not necessarily mean a safe deployment.
04:42We need to consider that the actual operations are taking place
04:45in the Strait of Hormuz,
04:46where military tensions between the US and Iran continue.
04:48If the P-8A Poseidon is assigned maritime surveillance missions on site,
04:52it will have to continuously monitor military activities
04:54occurring in the surrounding waters.
04:55In this process, there is also a possibility
04:57that it will operate in the same operational area as US or other allied warships.
05:01Even if the South Korean military does not directly carry out attack missions,
05:04the maritime information collected on site
05:05could be used in the operational decisions of the allied forces.
05:08In this case,
05:08how Iran evaluates the activities of the South Korean military
05:11becomes an important issue.
05:12Even the logistics support ships cannot be completely free from danger.
05:16Unlike warships,
05:17logistics support ships do not carry out direct attack missions,
05:19but they stay in the operational area
05:21and provide supplies and support needed by other military assets.
05:24Especially in situations where tensions are high,
05:26the location and movement routes of the ships themselves
05:28can become important factors.
05:29The threats that can occur at sea
05:31are not limited to just missiles or drones.
05:33You also have to consider situations where mines are laid
05:35or small, unmanned boats approach,
05:37as well as situations where collisions occur
05:38caused by misidentification between merchant ships and warships.
05:41Especially in the Hormuz region,
05:43ships have to operate in a limited maritime space.
05:45When warships and merchant ships from multiple countries
05:47are moving at the same time,
05:48the likelihood of unexpected situations increases
05:50if military tensions rise.
05:51Even if the mission carried out by the Korean military on site
05:54is limited to maritime surveillance or removing threats,
05:56the operational environment itself cannot be considered safe.
05:58Another important aspect is the scope of the mission.
06:00Even if the government clearly defines the mission
06:02at the time of deployment,
06:03the actual operational environment can change
06:06if the local situation changes.
06:07For example,
06:08if threats in a certain sea area increase
06:09or if the passage of Korean vessels is restricted,
06:12additional surveillance and support may be required.
06:14At this point,
06:14it becomes important to determine
06:15how far the Korean military will carry out its mission
06:17and under what circumstances it will suspend operations.
06:20Even if the Korean government sets a principle
06:22of not participating in combat,
06:23there is no guarantee
06:24that the other country will judge by the same standard.
06:26Especially if the Korean military operates
06:28in the same area as the United States,
06:29the United Kingdom or France,
06:31Iran may separately assess Korea's military role.
06:33Therefore,
06:34we should not judge the level of risk
06:35based solely on the name of the deployment
06:36or the type of forces involved.
06:38So there's one more thing we need to consider here.
06:40What is the real purpose of Korea
06:41dispatching troops to the Strait of Hormuz?
06:43From the government's perspective,
06:44ensuring the safe navigation of Korean vessels
06:46and protecting maritime routes
06:47can be important justifications,
06:48since Korea relies heavily on overseas energy
06:50and raw materials,
06:51the stability of major maritime routes
06:52is directly linked to the national economy.
06:54Therefore,
06:54activities to ensure the safety of vessels
06:56in the Strait of Hormuz
06:56can be explained as being connected
06:58to Korea's national interest.
06:59However,
06:59it's hard to say that the meaning
07:00of the troop deployment from the U.S. perspective
07:02is exactly the same
07:03as that of the Korean government.
07:04For the United States,
07:05the very fact that allied countries
07:06are making military contributions
07:08in the Strait of Hormuz
07:08can have significant meaning.
07:10In particular,
07:10missions such as maritime surveillance
07:12or removing explosives
07:13can also have the effect of supporting
07:14the operational activities of the U.S.
07:15and other allied countries on site.
07:17Here,
07:17the boundary between international activities
07:19for maritime safety
07:20and activities supporting
07:21the military operations
07:22of a specific country
07:22becomes an issue.
07:23Even if Korea explains
07:24that it is participating
07:25for the safety of its own ships,
07:26if it operates in the same
07:27operational environment
07:28as the United States,
07:29outsiders may view this
07:30as support for the U.S. military
07:31activities in the Middle East.
07:33What's more important
07:33is the scope of the mission
07:34after deployment.
07:35Even if the mission is initially set
07:36around maritime safety
07:37and surveillance,
07:38if the local situation changes,
07:39it is hard to rule out
07:40the possibility
07:41that the United States
07:42or other allied countries
07:43may request additional cooperation.
07:45This is why Korea
07:45needs to set clear standards.
07:46in advance
07:47for how far it will cooperate.
07:48In particular,
07:49the Korean government's judgment
07:50that the deployment
07:51was necessary for its own country
07:52and the United States' assessment
07:54that it is a military contribution
07:55from an ally
07:56are two different matters.
07:57Even for the same activities,
07:58there may be differences
07:59in the roles expected
08:00by the two countries.
08:01Therefore,
08:01when looking at this deployment,
08:02we shouldn't just focus
08:03on the justification
08:03for Korea's participation
08:04but also need to check
08:05what actual role
08:06Korea will take on in the field.
08:07This is because
08:08the nature of this deployment
08:09can vary greatly
08:10depending on whether
08:10it is a maritime security activity
08:11for Korea's national interest
08:13or if it also includes
08:13supporting military operations
08:15of allied countries
08:15including the United States.
08:17In the end,
08:17the conflict surrounding
08:18the Strait of Hormuz
08:19has now reached us as well.
08:21As always,
08:22I hope we make a wise decision.
08:24Furthermore,
08:25if we end up dispatching troops,
08:26I hope that every single one
08:27of our soldiers
08:28returns safely
08:29without anyone getting hurt.
08:30Ah.
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