U.S. presses Korea to commit resources to Strait of Hormuz

The Trump administration has again publicly pressed Korea to play a bigger role in the Strait of Hormuz as Seoul weighs possible military support in the region, according to reports on Sunday.

Korea is one of the largest importers of Middle Eastern oil, and Washington is still waiting for Seoul to commit resources to the region, a senior White House official said, according to Voice of America. 

Washington has argued that countries heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil should contribute their own resources and bear some of the costs of securing maritime traffic rather than leaving the burden largely to the United States.

The U.S. Department of Defense also reiterated that allies should take a more active role in protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. Defense Department official referred inquiries about any potential deployment to the Korean government.

The calls for support outside the Korean Peninsula come amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz following military clashes with Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Korea and members of NATO in an interview with Fox News on Aug. 30.

“I think you have to remember this stuff,” Trump said while singling out Korea for not agreeing to help with his war in Iran.

“We are looking into ways Korea can make a substantive contribution in the Strait of Hormuz,” a Blue House official said on Friday. “Military contributions are also among the options under consideration.”

With Washington specifically pointing to Seoul’s status as a major oil importer as it calls for resources to be committed to the region, the form of any military support is expected to become a key issue in discussions between the two countries.

“There may be some room to maneuver [support] as long as it does not significantly undermine our defense readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula,” the Blue House official added.

BY KO SEUNG-PYO [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]