SEOUL, Nov 5 — South Korea plans to expand its anti-piracy mission off Somalia to waters near the Strait of Hormuz, deploying additional military assets including a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team, officials said on Thursday, in what Yonhap described as the country's first contribution to the conflict-stricken region. The Defence Ministry announcement, confirmed by Reuters, follows months of deliberation over Seoul's role in international efforts to keep the strategic waterway open since the US-Iran war erupted in February, during which Seoul has effectively turned down Washington's requests for military support against Tehran.

Source: Yonhap via K-VIBE

The revised mandate for the Cheonghae unit, currently operating in the Gulf of Aden, will extend its operational area northeast to waters south of Oman in the Arabian Sea, near the port of Duqm. The P-8A will support the unit's destroyer on its rotational mission escorting commercial ships and crews and ensuring maritime safety, and the motion will add a new mandate to 'support efforts to restore freedom of navigation in international shipping routes', a ministry official said.

Source: Yonhap via K-VIBE

"The enhancement of the Cheonghae unit's mission is to protect our citizens and safeguard our economic interests," a defence ministry official said, stressing that the reinforcement is strictly for non-combat purposes and the unit will operate independently from any allied forces. "Operations will remain restricted to the open waters south of Oman, and the maritime patrol aircraft will be prohibited from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, territorial waters or the interior of the Strait of Hormuz during their missions," the official said. Aju Press reported the ministry's four principles: no involvement in the war, protection of South Korean nationals and vessels, operations limited to waters south of Oman, and independent command under South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Source: Aju Press

Piracy surge cited, mine-clearing role prepared for after the war

The ministry said the expansion is primarily aimed at responding to increasing piracy off Somalia, where reported incidents have more than tripled from 11 throughout 2025 to 36 so far this year, partly as multinational naval forces were redirected toward the Red Sea and Hormuz. At the same time, the EOD team and unmanned mine-sweeping systems are aimed at preparing for Seoul's potential participation in post-war joint operations to restore the Strait of Hormuz, where clearing sea mines is expected to be a primary task once the war ends. Officials said there are no confirmed mine threats in the planned operating area, and that any Hormuz recovery operations would first require a 'permissive environment' — either the end of the US-Iran conflict or a formal agreement — aligned with Britain, France and other partners, plus separate parliamentary approval.

Source: Aju Press

From deliberation to a parliamentary motion

The move is the concrete step that follows the earlier deliberation: President Lee Jae Myung said on September 18 that he would not deploy military assets in a way that could draw South Korea into conflict, while Seoul reviewed playing a greater role in safeguarding navigation — and South Korea's Hormuz deployment options were already under discussion in late October. Reuters reported that Trump has criticised Seoul for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war and scaled back major joint drills this summer. The government plans to submit the motion for the revised mandate to the National Assembly following Cabinet endorsement next week; the revised mandate would remain valid through December 31, 2027, while the current deployment expires on December 31. The Cheonghae unit, formed in 2009 under a UN Security Council mission, currently fields a 4,400-ton destroyer, a naval helicopter and high-speed boats, and its 49th contingent left for the Gulf of Aden on October 2. Seoul seeks to operate the new assets out of Djibouti and will begin consultations with that country once the parliamentary process gets under way.

Source: Reuters via MIX-FM