South Korea Reviews Expanding Cheonghae Unit's Mission Toward the Gulf of Oman, Defence Ministry Says Details Undecided
SEOUL — South Korea is reviewing an expansion of its military operations in the Middle East, the Kyunghyang Shinmun reported on October 16, as Seoul weighs extending the mission of the Cheonghae anti-piracy unit, dispatched to the Gulf of Aden in 2009, to include the Gulf of Oman, which links to the Strait of Hormuz. The administration of President Lee Jae Myung plans to submit a motion to parliament to extend the unit's mission, set to expire on December 31, 2026, and is also considering sending a frigate to reinforce operations, the paper said.
South Korea's Defence Ministry said in a statement to Reuters that the government is reviewing whether to submit an extension motion to parliament before the mission expires, and that nothing has been decided on the details. The ministry said the situation in the Gulf of Aden was worsening, with pirate activity up sharply from a year earlier. The Cheonghae unit currently fields a 4,400-ton-class destroyer, a maritime operations helicopter, up to three rigid-hull inflatable boats and around 300 service members, according to broadcaster YTN.
President Donald Trump has criticised Seoul for what he called insufficient support for the Iran war and scaled back major joint U.S.–South Korea drills this summer. President Lee said on September 18 that he would not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way that could draw the country into conflict, but that Seoul was reviewing whether to play a greater role in safeguarding navigation in the region.
Source: Reuters, October 16, 2026, citing the Kyunghyang Shinmun and a South Korean Defence Ministry statement (GSM, based on Reuters reporting)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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