South Korea Cites Tripled Somali Piracy as Lawmakers Question Hormuz Role

South Korea's Defense Ministry says the planned expansion of its Cheonghae naval unit is aimed mainly at a surge in piracy off Somalia, where reported incidents have more than tripled from 11 in all of 2025 to 36 so far this year, according to NewsCord's roundup of Korean coverage. Lawmakers are already divided over whether the plan goes too far or not far enough.

The proposal, reached at a vice-ministerial meeting, still needs Cabinet endorsement next week and then approval from the National Assembly, Yonhap News Agency reported.

What the government says the mission is for

Officials describe the move as strictly non-combat. Yonhap reported that a defense ministry official, speaking anonymously, said the unit will operate independently of allied forces and stay in open waters south of Oman. The P-8A maritime patrol aircraft will be barred from targeting or monitoring Iranian territory, its territorial waters or the inside of the Strait of Hormuz. Korea JoongAng Daily quoted an official as saying Seoul will "absolutely not be involved in or intervene in the war."

On the piracy rationale, Yonhap said officials attribute part of the increase to multinational naval forces being pulled toward the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, leaving fewer ships for anti-piracy work.

The plan would extend the unit's operating area from the Gulf of Aden northeast to waters south of Oman and add 75 personnel, bringing the total to 395. Yonhap said the radius would roughly double to about 1,930 kilometers. Korea JoongAng Daily described the change as a rise from 600 nautical miles to 1,200 nautical miles, reaching open waters off the Omani port of Duqm. Reuters-style distance figures cited by The Jerusalem Post put Duqm about 650 km (403 miles) from the strait.

What lawmakers are saying

The Korea Times, as summarized by NewsCord, reported criticism from two directions. Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the Rebuilding Korea Party warned that even a noncombat mission could be read differently abroad: "the other side may still view us as an entity to enter the war."

Rep. Jeon Eun-su of the Democratic Party of Korea made a narrower point, saying the unit's operating area does not even reach the Strait of Hormuz.

The sources do not show how either lawmaker plans to vote.

The mine-clearing question

The package also includes an explosive ordnance disposal team and unmanned mine-sweeping systems. A second ministry official told Yonhap these are meant to prepare Seoul for possible joint operations to restore the strait after the war. Clearing sea mines is expected to be a main task needing international coordination once fighting ends.

South Korea has agreed with Britain, France and other partners that such work should begin only in a "permissive environment," Yonhap reported. That means either an end to the U.S.-Iran conflict or a formal agreement between the two sides. An official said Seoul has promised to join upon request under those conditions. Sending the new assets into the strait itself would require a separate parliamentary vote, which officials say the government is prepared to seek.

Officials also said Seoul wants to test its limited experience with unmanned mine countermeasures through the deployment.

Why it matters for South Korea's energy and alliances

The Jerusalem Post, citing the Industry Ministry, reported that South Korea drew 70% of its oil supplies from the Middle East in 2025, most of it shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. That makes the waterway central to the country's energy supply.

The decision also lands amid friction with Washington. The Jerusalem Post said President Donald Trump has criticized Seoul for what he called insufficient support in the Iran war and scaled back major joint drills this summer. Yonhap noted that Seoul has effectively declined U.S. requests for military support against Tehran. On Sept. 18, according to the Post, President Lee Jae Myung said he would not deploy forces in a way that could draw the country into conflict, while reviewing a larger role in protecting navigation.

What happens next

• The Cabinet is expected to endorse the motion next week, after which it goes to the National Assembly.
• The current deployment mandate expires Dec. 31. The government renews it annually through parliamentary approval.
• Once the process begins, Seoul plans to open talks with Djibouti about basing the new assets there.
• The revised mandate would add language on supporting efforts to restore freedom of navigation in international shipping routes.

The unit was formed in 2009 under a U.N. Security Council-backed mission against piracy. Its 49th contingent, aboard the destroyer Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin, left for the Gulf of Aden on Oct. 2.

Earlier on Around Prague: South Korea Plans to Push Its Navy Unit Toward Hormuz After Trump Pressure

Around Prague, based on reporting by Yonhap News Agency, The Jerusalem Post, NewsCord