US President Donald Trump has announced the launch of "Project Freedom," an operation to help third-country vessels trapped along Middle Eastern sea routes in the aftermath of the Iran war escape the region. The operation, which began on the morning of the 4th Middle East time, will primarily coordinate strait navigation among shipping companies, insurers and maritime organizations, according to reports. Iran has pushed back, declaring that "any US intervention in the new maritime order of the Strait of Hormuz will be regarded as a violation of the ceasefire." Whether Project Freedom can be carried out peacefully remains uncertain.
The United States appears to be seeking an upper hand in war-ending negotiations by breaking Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and securing control over the waterway. If the operation succeeds in opening the strait, Washington may well ask allies and friendly nations to share the diplomatic and military costs after the fact. If it fails to clear the passage, it could also shift the blame onto allies and partners for their lack of cooperation. Either way, whether the operation succeeds or fails, an after-the-fact bill from the United States could land on Korea's doorstep. Preparing sophisticated, scenario-based responses has therefore become a critical and immediate task for the government. Multifaceted measures are needed to avoid following in the footsteps of the German government, which recently was hit with retaliatory blows from the United States, including the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops stationed in Germany and a 10 percentage-point tariff hike on passenger cars and trucks (from 15% to 25%).
Above all, the government must devote its full efforts to securing the safety of 26 Korean-flagged vessels and 160 sailors stranded in the Middle East. If Project Freedom succeeds, Korea must ensure its ships are included on the "priority rescue list." Among the roughly 2,000 vessels waiting at the Strait of Hormuz, if Korean merchant ships are pushed down the order, their escape could take anywhere from over ten days to several months.
Korea must find a practical solution that protects its national interests and citizens while upholding the principle of "freedom of navigation" under international law and complying with US and international sanctions against Iran. Active behind-the-scenes communication with Iran is also necessary so that an exit route remains open for Korean vessels even if the US operation is delayed or encounters setbacks. To this end, Korea should refer to cases such as Japan's successful evacuation of some of its vessels and mobilize every available means — including leveraging its economic and diplomatic capacity to contribute to postwar reconstruction of the Middle East.
