Yoon Young-kwan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated on September 9 that South Korea should approach the U.S. request for troop deployment in the Hormuz Strait as a package deal, demanding corresponding security commitments in return. Yoon, who served as the chief diplomat during the 2003 Iraq deployment, made these remarks at an international conference held at the Seoul Press Center.
During the event, titled 'Geopolitical Changes in the Indo-Pacific Region, Climate and AI Governance, and Building Regional Order,' Yoon noted that the government likely assessed that the risks of not deploying troops outweigh those of deployment. He emphasized the need to clarify the purpose of the deployment, linking it to the provision of international public goods, such as freedom of navigation, and South Korea's economic security.
Yoon also suggested that the duration of the deployment should be specified, recommending a clear timeframe of six months to one year. He referenced the international coalition proposed by France and the United Kingdom for stabilizing the Strait of Hormuz, advising that coordinated action under international frameworks would be beneficial.
The conference included five former foreign ministers, including Yoon Young-kwan, Yoon Byung-se, Song Min-soon, Yoo Myung-hwan, and Park Jin.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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