# Korea Weighs Noncombat Options in Hormuz After Lee Rules Out War Involvement > President Lee Jae-myung has ruled out sending Korean forces into combat in the US-Iran conflict, but experts say Seoul still has room to expand the Cheonghae Unit's presence near the Strait of Hormuz without crossing that line, provided any move clears the National Assembly first. - Source: Korea First - Canonical URL: https://koreafirst.tv/article/korea-weighs-noncombat-options-in-hormuz-after-lee-rules-out-war-involvement - Author: Korea First Staff - Section: Politics - Published: 2026-09-22T06:09:51.204Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T06:09:51.204Z - Tags: Lee Jae-myung, Hormuz Strait, Cheonghae Unit, US-Iran war, National Assembly, military deployment - Korean edition: https://koreafirst.tv/ko/article/korea-weighs-noncombat-options-in-hormuz-after-lee-rules-out-war-involvement --- President Lee Jae-myung has ruled out sending Korean troops into combat as part of the US-Iran war, telling reporters that Korea would not participate or intervene in the conflict, even as he left the door open to other forms of military activity near the Strait of Hormuz. That distinction between combat and noncombat roles is now doing a lot of work in Seoul's deliberations. Officials and outside experts have sketched out a range of options that would keep Korea active in the region without crossing into the war itself: expanding the operational role of the Cheonghae Unit, Korea's anti-piracy naval detachment, alongside maritime surveillance and intelligence gathering, logistical support delivered through separate frameworks, and protection of Korean vessels and nationals in the area. ## How Far the Cheonghae Unit Could Go Cho Yong-geun of Kyungnam University argued the unit should remain under independent Korean command and steer clear of combat operations, a position that treats command authority as the key safeguard against Korea being drawn deeper into the fight. Shin Jong-woo of the Korea Defense and Security Forum offered a similar read, saying expanding operations near Hormuz is possible if the goal is protecting commercial vessels rather than directly engaging Iran, drawing the line at the target of any Korean action rather than its location. ## A Multinational Framework, Not a US-Led One Shin Beom-chul of the Sejong Institute suggested a specific path around the combat question: sending maritime patrol aircraft or logistics vessels to join a separate multinational framework rather than a US-led operation, a distinction that would let Korea contribute to regional security efforts without being folded directly into Washington's war footing. ## Why 2026 Is Not 2020 Korea has expanded the Cheonghae Unit's mission before, sending it into the Strait of Hormuz region in 2020 without seeking separate parliamentary approval at the time. Shin Yul of Myongji University cautioned that this year's circumstances are different because a war is now actually underway, and warned that expanding the mission again without National Assembly consent could draw far more criticism than it did six years ago. Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee echoed that caution more directly, saying any deployment requires public consensus and National Assembly consent, a standard that sets a higher bar than the 2020 precedent. ## Domestic Pushback and an Open Question The Jinbo Party has already warned against what it calls a roundabout deployment, with progressive groups questioning whether an expanded Cheonghae role is really noncombat in practice or simply a way of easing Korea into the war without calling it that. No final decision has been made, and it remains unclear whether Washington would be satisfied with a Korean contribution limited to surveillance, logistics and vessel protection rather than a fuller commitment. --- Originally published by Korea First. Free to cite with attribution and a link to https://koreafirst.tv/article/korea-weighs-noncombat-options-in-hormuz-after-lee-rules-out-war-involvement.