Ships anchored and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz [AP=Yonhap News File Photo]

U.S. President Donald Trump, on the 4th (local time), once again pressed South Korea to participate in military operations following the explosion and fire incident involving a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, but the Ministry of National Defense, which would be the practical entity executing the operation, is maintaining a cautious stance.

The ministry's position is that understanding the situation of this incident is a priority, given that the cause of the accident has not yet been properly identified. It appears to be distancing itself from speculation that this incident will accelerate our military's participation in operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump mentioned on his social media that day, "Iran fired several shots at unrelated countries, including a Korean cargo ship, in connection with issues related to the movement of ships for the 'Maritime Freedom' operation. It seems it's time for South Korea to join this operation."

Regarding the explosion accident of a Korean shipping company HMM vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, the South Korean government is still investigating the cause of the accident, but President Trump characterized it as Iran's doing and pressured for South Korea's military contribution.

However, President Trump did not provide any separate basis or source for his assertion that the explosion accident was caused by an Iranian attack.

The South Korean government is prioritizing the investigation into the cause of the accident, whether it originated from an external attack or an issue with the vessel itself.

Initially, the possibility was raised that our vessel might have been hit by an attack from naval mines, suicide drones, unmanned surface vessels, or rockets planted by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. However, as it later became known that the damage to the vessel was not relatively severe, the possibility of the accident originating from within the ship is also being discussed simultaneously.

The government plans to tow the damaged vessel to a nearby port to investigate the cause of the accident, and it is expected to take at least several days to analyze the cause of the explosion and fire.

The Ministry of National Defense maintains that identifying the cause of the accident on the vessel is a priority, and subsequent response directions can be reviewed based on this.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, "We will carefully review our position, taking into comprehensive consideration international law, the safety of international maritime routes, the ROK-US alliance, the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, and domestic legal procedures."

However, as the United States continues to pressure allies like South Korea for military contributions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the South Korean government is in a situation where it cannot simply ignore the demands of the United States, a key ally.

The Blue House, which had refrained from related comments until now, announced in a press release today that it is "reviewing the U.S. proposal regarding the Strait of Hormuz, taking into account the readiness posture on the Korean Peninsula and domestic legal procedures."

It added, "We are actively participating in various international efforts to stabilize, recover, and normalize the global maritime logistics network as soon as possible. In this context, we are also paying attention to President Trump's related remarks."

This has led to an analysis that it indicates a stance of proactively considering participation in the military operation proposed by President Trump.

However, there is also an interpretation that this is a form of "lip service" to consider the ROK-US alliance, given that the cause of the vessel's explosion has not yet been determined and there are many limitations in dispatching military assets such as warships to the Strait of Hormuz immediately. It is interpreted that the South Korean government could not entirely ignore President Trump's public pressure given the numerous pending issues between South Korea and the U.S., such as tariff negotiations and the issue of U.S. Forces Korea.

The Ministry of National Defense still maintains a cautious stance on participating in military operations, and the possibility of our military forces, such as the Cheonghae Unit operating in the Gulf of Aden, being immediately deployed to the Strait of Hormuz is assessed as small.

The Ministry of National Defense has considered the deployment of military assets to the Strait of Hormuz as a final stage measure to be taken after the end of the war, and it believes that the consent of the National Assembly is necessary to dispatch the Cheonghae Unit's forces to the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively in a state of war.

Currently, the Cheonghae Unit is carrying out missions such as anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 2,000 km away from the Strait of Hormuz.

It is known that the Cheonghae Unit has been assisting in assessing the safety of the crew members by communicating with the damaged vessel through communication channels after the accident occurred.

The main strength of the Cheonghae Unit, the destroyer Daejoyong, is a 4,400-ton destroyer equipped with basic protection systems, but its protection systems are reportedly insufficient to operate in the Strait of Hormuz, where drone and missile attacks are frequent.

This is not the first time President Trump has publicly mentioned South Korea and requested military support.

In March, President Trump requested the dispatch of warships to the Strait of Hormuz, naming South Korea and four other countries, but the South Korean government also maintained a cautious stance at the time and did not dispatch warships.

Until now, our military authorities have participated in multinational discussions led by the United Kingdom and France to support the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. This forum, from which the United States, a party to the war, is absent, primarily discusses contribution methods after the end of the war.

Recently, the United States proposed a new international coalition called the 'Maritime Freedom Coalition' to resume commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and South Korea is reportedly reviewing ways to participate.

Some speculate that even if the military authorities do not immediately dispatch forces to the Strait of Hormuz, they may pursue limited and non-combat contributions, such as information sharing or dispatching liaison officers, to respond to the U.S.'s request for contributions.