On September 26, 2025, the South Korean Navy’s Aegis Destroyer, Sejong the Great, participates in a fleet review in the waters near Busan, South Korea. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters/Archive
South Korea is considering whether to participate in US initiatives to direct merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, the nation’s foreign ministry announced in a statement on Tuesday.
“The government maintains that safeguarding safety and freedom of navigation in international maritime routes aligns with the shared interests of all nations and must be upheld in accordance with international law,” the statement asserts.
“We are examining the US plan concerning the Strait of Hormuz in relation to military readiness on the Korean Peninsula and national legislation.” Regarding Project Freedom, South Korea and the US have been in constant contact to ensure the secure navigation of crucial waterways such as the Hormuz Strait,” it noted.
On Monday, US forces initiated Project Freedom to assist merchant vessels in safely navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
South Korea and various other Asian economies have suffered greatly due to shipping restrictions via the strait, as they heavily depend on fuel imports from the Gulf.
A report from the United Nations released on April 14 indicates that the repercussions of the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran are set to result in losses of hundreds of billions of dollars for the Asia-Pacific economy and could push millions into poverty.
Furthermore, Asia makes up over fifty percent of the world’s manufacturing, indicating that economic challenges in the area can greatly affect the global economy.
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