South Korea in ‘Catch-22 situation’ over Trump’s call for warships to secure Hormuz

2026.03.17 00:20 Activists hold placards during a rally against the US demand for South Korea to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz, outside the US embassy in Seoul on Monday. Photo: Reuters South Korea is expected to seek consensus through transparent procedures at its National Assembly before deciding on its next step, after US President Donald Trump bluntly called on various nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Observers say Seoul is unlikely to move quickly, instead waiting for the outcome of the March 19 summit between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as well as a formal request from Washington through official diplomatic channels. The country is a key American ally but has also maintained relatively balanced relations with Gulf countries, a key pillar of energy security and a major market for construction and plant projects. Hasty military intervention could deal a severe blow to diplomatic relations and economic interests with Iran and other Middle Eastern states, analysts warned. “This is a Catch-22 situation for Seoul. It has to choose between harsher US pressures including tariffs and potential harm to its people and businesses in the region and soured ties with Iran,” Doo Jin-ho, a senior research fellow at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, told This Week in Asia. A cargo ship sails in the Arabian Gulf towards the Strait of Hormuz in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. Photo: AP In a social media post on Sunday, Trump had urged “China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, [to] send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a nation that has been totally decapitated”. Hours later, he added: “Countries of the World that receive oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help – A LOT! The US will also coordinate with those countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. This sh

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