Reuters reported on Thursday, November 5, that South Korea plans to extend the range of the anti-piracy unit "Chongha" to waters closer to the Strait of Hormuz; An action that takes place after Donald Trump, the president of the United States, pressured Seoul to support a war with Iran.
South Korea's Ministry of Defense announced that the government will submit to parliament a plan to extend the mission of this unit in the Middle East after the end of 2026. According to this plan, the operational range of this force will be extended to the waters around the port of Duqm in Oman, about 650 km from the Strait of Hormuz.
The Chaunga unit has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden since 2009 to protect commercial shipping, and currently has a 4,400-ton destroyer, naval attack helicopters and about 300 military personnel. According to reports in the South Korean media, a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft will also be added to this mission and the number of soldiers will increase to 75. Reuters wrote that South Korea will receive about 70% of its oil needs from the Middle East in 2025, and most of this oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Lee Jae-myung, the president of South Korea, has previously said that Seoul will not send military force in a way that would involve the country in a conflict in the Middle East.