National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said the government is reviewing a military role to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
"It is difficult to go into detail, but there will be multiple tiers of military roles, and we are reviewing several tiers starting from the lower levels," Wi said Thursday at a briefing hosted by the Korea Editors Association at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. "President Lee Jae-myung recently attended a virtual summit led by the United Kingdom and France, where he expressed an intention to make a substantive contribution. Korea is also actively participating in multilateral military cooperation and diplomatic efforts," Wi said, adding that "we are conducting a review of the U.S. 'Maritime Freedom Initiative.'"
Regarding the attack on a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, Wi emphasized that the unidentified flying object that struck HMM's Namu "does not provide sufficient grounds to conclude it was a drone," noting that the investigation is still ongoing and that various possibilities remain open.
He also reaffirmed the plan to complete a roadmap this year for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) as part of realizing Korea-led defense of the peninsula. "We are working to secure capabilities, including increased defense spending, so that the Korean military can take a leading role in defending the peninsula," Wi said. "We are pushing to complete the master roadmap for OPCON transfer this year and to finalize the Full Operational Capability assessment."
Wi explained that while there are differences of opinion with the United States, they are at a level that can be narrowed. "I do not believe the gaps in timeline or conditions are as wide as they appear from the outside," he said.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, who is currently visiting the United States, held a briefing at the Korean Embassy in Washington on Wednesday (local time), saying, "There are slightly different views with the United States on the timing of the OPCON transfer." He added, however, that "this is not a major gap in perception, but rather a period during which we need to make an effort to persuade them." The government reportedly assesses that significant progress has been made following a series of working-level consultations between Seoul and Washington.
