[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] How Much Will the Cheonghae Unit's Operational Area Expand?

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] If the government dispatches the Cheonghae Unit to the Strait of Hormuz, the operational area of the Cheonghae Unit will increase by 3.5 times compared to the current area.

According to the military on the 21st, the Cheonghae Unit's operational area has so far been the Somali Aden Bay sea. Escort operations for ships in this area cover about 1,130 km. However, based on Salalah Port in Oman, the mission area has been expanded to about 2,830 km, including the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Gulf, and near the Al Zubair Port in Iraq.

The 31st Cheonghae Unit's Wang Geon ship (4,400 tons) will relieve the 30th unit's Gang Gam-chan ship at 5:30 p.m. today at Muscat Port, Oman. The Wang Geon ship is known to have reinforced anti-submarine weapons such as torpedoes, anti-aircraft weapons to counter threats from drones and aircraft, and sonar detection sensors to respond to underwater threats in preparation for missions around the Strait of Hormuz.

It is expected to be deployed in actual operations soon after the mission handover. The operation will be conducted based on the primary judgment of Colonel Hwang Jong-seo, the captain of the Wang Geon ship. If hostile force attack signs or other threat factors are identified during the transportation of Korean vessels in the Strait of Hormuz area, the Joint Chiefs of Staff are expected to command the Cheonghae Unit's operations.

However, if the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) requests escort for other countries' vessels, the Cheonghae Unit is also expected to carry out this mission. A Ministry of National Defense official said, "The Cheonghae Unit will perform missions only within the scope of its capabilities and limitations."

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow strait connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and is considered an important oil transportation route. The narrowest section of the strait falls under Iran's territorial waters according to international law. Iranian crude oil has not been imported into Korea since April last year following the U.S. ban on Iranian crude oil imports. According to the Korea Petroleum Association, as of November last year, Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest share of crude oil imports at 28.2%, followed by Kuwait at 14.1%, the United States at 12.7%, Iraq at 10.9%, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 7.8%. Oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq send most of their crude oil, which accounts for 30% of global demand, through the Strait of Hormuz.

Inside and around the Strait of Hormuz, a series of adverse events occurred starting in early May last year with the U.S. military's deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and bomber squadrons, followed by attacks on four oil tankers (May 12), two oil tankers (June 12), the downing of a U.S. military drone (June 20), and the detention of an Iranian oil tanker (July 14). Analysts say the situation has become as tense as during the mid-1980s Iran-Iraq War, known as the "Tanker War," when oil tankers in the Gulf were targeted.

The "Tanker War," triggered by Iraq's attack on Iran's oil export island of Kharg in 1984, saw Iran and Iraq attacking third-party commercial vessels transporting oil produced by the opposing side. In response to Iraq's preemptive attacks, Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. threatened direct military intervention, preventing an actual blockade. Until the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988, over four years, more than 540 commercial vessels, including oil tankers, were attacked in the Gulf, mainly by Iraq.

The Ministry of National Defense described the expansion of the Cheonghae Unit's mission as "temporary." It stated that the dispatch decision was made temporarily until stability is restored in the Middle East. Although described as a temporary dispatch, it is uncertain when the expanded mission will conclude.