South Korea Moves to Expand Cheonghae Unit’s Operational Area to Waters off Gulf of Oman

Expand the operational area rather than reinforce forces as a way to contribute to security in the Strait of Hormuz
Ministry of National Defense: "Considering submitting an extension to the deployment authorization... No details have been decided yet"

The ROKS Wang Geon, part of the Cheonghae Unit dispatched to the area around the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by Yonhap News.

The Ministry of National Defense is considering expanding the Cheonghae Unit’s operational area to waters off the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz. Although it considered reinforcing the unit after U.S. President Donald Trump asked South Korea to send warships, the government has concluded that doing so is not feasible. Instead of deploying additional forces, it may choose to expand the unit’s operational area as a way to “contribute to security in the Strait of Hormuz.”

A government official said on October 16, “It is true that the security situation in the area has deteriorated, with pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia surging recently compared with previous years,” adding, “Expanding the operational area to waters off the Gulf of Oman is the most likely option.”

The Cheonghae Unit is an overseas deployment of the South Korean Armed Forces that has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia since 2009 to conduct anti-piracy operations and escort ships to support their safe passage. The ROKS Wang Geon (DDH-978), a Navy destroyer, has been deployed as part of the unit’s 48th contingent. The deployment authorization approved by the National Assembly in 2025 specifies the unit’s operational area as “the waters around the Gulf of Aden off Somalia.” The Ministry of National Defense says the area could also be expanded, depending on how the authorization is interpreted, because it includes the provision “including areas designated for the protection of South Korean nationals in emergencies.”

However, reinforcing the Cheonghae Unit’s capabilities would be difficult. The unit’s 48th contingent has strengthened only its counter-drone capabilities, including detection, disruption and interception, in response to drone threats. This was not so much a response to the U.S. request for a “deployment to the Strait of Hormuz” as it was a measure related to the unit’s existing missions, including anti-piracy operations. In particular, President Lee Jae Myung stated the principle that “there will be no deployment to take part in a war” at a press conference for the public on September 18. The government’s position is that substantially reinforcing the unit could potentially draw South Korea into a localized conflict. Trump has also requested mine-clearing forces for deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, but all of the minesweepers operated by the South Korean Navy are small vessels of 700 tons or less, making it difficult for them to operate in open waters.

A Ministry of National Defense official said, “The government is considering submitting a motion to extend the authorization for the Cheonghae Unit’s deployment before it expires, but no details have been decided.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.