South Korea's presidential office said on the 15th it will "carefully review and make a decision" regarding the U.S. request to dispatch warships to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz.
"We are paying attention to U.S. President Trump's social media remarks and are in close communication with the U.S. on this matter," the presidential office said in a media notice, signaling it would not prejudge the president's comments.
"The safety of international maritime routes and freedom of navigation serve the interests of all nations and are protected under international law. We hope global maritime logistics networks will be normalized as soon as possible based on these principles," the office added.
"Our government is closely monitoring the Middle East situation and developments among related countries, while comprehensively considering and exploring various measures to protect our citizens and ensure the safety of energy transportation routes," it emphasized.
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on the 14th (local time): "Various Nations, especially those affected by Iran's threatened Blockade of the Straits of Hormuz, will be sending War Ships, along with the United States, to keep the Straits open and SAFE!"
He added: "Hopefully, so as not to have the Straits of Hormuz threatened any longer by a Country whose leadership has been completely eliminated, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and others, affected by this artificial constraint, will send their ships to the region."
While Trump's first sentence suggests multiple countries will send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, his mention of South Korea and other nations as potential contributors was prefaced with "Hopefully," indicating this remains at the level of a request rather than a firm commitment. The Trump administration has reportedly not yet made an official request to Seoul for warship deployment.