South Korean Rep. Kim Joon-hyung challenged a possible expansion of the Cheonghae Unit’s mission Wednesday, warning that a wider role could endanger personnel as Seoul weighs shipping security near the Strait of Hormuz.
Kim, floor leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, said at a National Assembly news conference that his party opposed changing either the unit’s operating area or its duties. He characterized a broader mission as a troop deployment. Kim asked what the government would do if a South Korean warship came under attack and personnel were injured, arguing that staying out of combat would not remove that danger.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Oct. 30 that Seoul was considering a stronger role for the unit to protect South Korean merchant ships, crude oil routes and citizens. The review was still in progress, he said, and the government remained committed to avoiding involvement in the war. Wi said officials would present specific measures to lawmakers and the public once they were developed.
In an Oct. 16 statement, Kim also opposed enlarging the mission. A coalition of civic groups took a broader position at an Oct. 19 news conference, opposing both an expansion and the continuation of the deployment. The groups warned that service members and South Korean citizens abroad could face danger.
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) says in its 2022 Defense White Paper that the Cheonghae Unit first deployed to the Gulf of Aden in March 2009 for anti-piracy operations. The unit’s operating area temporarily grew to include the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz in January 2020.
MND said Oct. 16 that it was reviewing whether to request an extension of the deployment from the National Assembly. The ministry had not determined the terms of such a request at the time. The current authorization expires Dec. 31, 2026.
