Seoul moves to expand Cheonghae Unit mission despite fears of being drawn into Iran war

The Korea Herald · Hwang Joo-young · 2026-11-05 05:08 UTC

South Korea announced Thursday plans to expand the operational area of its Cheonghae naval unit to include waters near the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns th

South Korea announced Thursday plans to expand the operational area of its Cheonghae naval unit to include waters near the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns that Seoul could become entangled in the US-Iran war.

The Defense Ministry insisted the move would not constitute involvement in the conflict.

A revised motion to extend the unit's deployment and expand its mission was approved at a vice-ministerial meeting Thursday, according to the Defense Ministry, and would be submitted to the National Assembly following Cabinet approval and presidential endorsement next week.

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