Poll shows 45% S. Koreans oppose troop deployment to Hormuz

More than four in 10 South Koreans oppose deploying the country's military to the Strait of Hormuz, according to a nationwide opinion poll released on Sept 10, as the Seoul government considers how to respond to mounting pressure from Washington.

The National Barometer Survey found 45 percent of respondents said they "oppose" a plan to deploy maritime patrol aircraft and a logistics support ship to the Strait of Hormuz, compared with 36 percent who supported the move.

The other 19 percent of respondents chose "don't know" or did not answer.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely been disrupted since the United States and Israeli-led war on Iran broke out in late February.

The US has repeatedly complained that South Korea and other allies are unwilling to help and has stepped up pressure on Seoul.

The latest South Korean poll came as a government-led team returned from inspecting military facilities, logistics, and operating conditions in the United Arab Emirates.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense stressed that the mission was intended to gather information and did not presuppose troop deployment.

South Korea's presidential office said Seoul was considering various options, including providing technical assistance instead of sending personnel.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sept 11, during which Cho emphasized that Seoul had not decided whether to deploy troops to the strait, South Korean newspaper The Hankyoreh reported.

During his state visit to France earlier this week, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also discussed maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz with French President Emmanuel Macron, the South Korean presidential office said in a statement.

Lee said that South Korea and France agreed to maintain close coordination to help restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and stability in global supply chains as soon as possible, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Although Wi Sung-lac, South Korea's national security adviser, stressed at a news conference after the meeting that military deployment was not discussed and no decision had been made, public concern has spilled onto South Korean streets.

Civic groups in South Korea rallied in Seoul on Sept 9 to voice their opposition to possible troop deployment in the Strait of Hormuz and urged the government to reject the US demand to contribute militarily, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, wrote in a post on X on Sept 7 that any other country maintaining a military presence or participating in operations in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz will be regarded as supporting "aggression".

Contact the writers at effiezhang@chinadailyapac.com.