South Korea expands anti-piracy unit's area near Hormuz
The unit will gain 75 personnel, bringing its strength to 395, along with a P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft and other reinforcements.
South Korea plans to move the operating area of its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit closer to the Strait of Hormuz, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday, South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The unit will receive 75 more personnel, raising its total strength to 395.
The ministry is also seeking to send extra assets to the unit, including a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, unmanned mine countermeasure equipment and an explosive ordnance disposal team.
The proposed revision would extend the unit's area to the southern tip of Oman's Duqm Port, roughly 650 kilometers (403.8 miles) from the strait.
The ministry said it will seek Cabinet review and presidential approval before submitting the motion to the National Assembly.
Seoul had spent several months weighing whether to send forces to the strait, but President Lee Jae Myung has ruled out deploying combat troops.
He has stressed that South Korea will not deploy military personnel in a way that could draw it into an overseas conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz has been at the centre of the conflict between the United States and Iran since the US and Israel launched military operations against Tehran in February.
The Cheonghae unit has been deployed since 2009, and its mandate requires annual parliamentary approval.
It has operated mainly in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia, as well as in contingency zones set up to protect South Korean citizens.
