Lee In-young: "Dispatching Troops to Hormuz Can Avoid Ratification Controversy by Expanding Operational Area"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] The ruling party stated that parliamentary approval is not necessary for the recent decision to dispatch troops to Hormuz. On the morning of the 21st, Lee In-young, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on MBC radio and responded to the question, "If the operational area is expanded, is the ratification process unnecessary?" by saying, "In such cases, I believe the ratification issue can be avoided."

Lee In-young, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 20th and delivering a speech. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Floor leader Lee expressed the same position as the government, saying, "We should respond by expanding the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit." When asked, "Have you heard that the government has decided to dispatch troops independently rather than as part of a combined fleet?" he replied, "This is the first time I have heard of that. However, personally, I think it would be better to respond by somewhat expanding the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit, which is currently active in the Gulf of Aden, rather than dispatching new troops."

He further explained, "If the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit active in the Gulf of Aden is expanded, it would be possible to take necessary measures from a national interest perspective, such as protecting our merchant ships, vessels, and personnel passing through the Strait of Hormuz."

National Defense Committee Chairman Ahn Kyu-baek also responded "Yes" to reporters' question after the Ministry of National Defense's briefing on whether parliamentary approval is unnecessary. Chairman Ahn added, "When the dispatch approval bill was passed last year, it was stated that the scope of dispatch could be expanded in emergencies," and continued, "There have been 18 precedents, such as during the Libya incident or when Korean nationals were detained on a ship, where the operational scope was expanded."

On the 21st, the Ministry of National Defense said, "Considering the current situation in the Middle East, we have decided to temporarily expand the dispatch area of the Cheonghae Unit to ensure the safety of our citizens and the freedom of navigation of our vessels." With this decision, the dispatch area of the Cheonghae Unit will be expanded from the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf.