South Korea and the United States are holding high-level defense talks in Busan from Wednesday to Friday, as Seoul considers deploying military forces to the Strait of Hormuz, the South Korean Defense Ministry said. The meeting is part of the countries’ Integrated Defense Dialogue, which is held twice a year.
Talks led by senior officials and joint defense issues
The talks are also expected to address the possibility of sending South Korean forces to the Strait of Hormuz, amid U.S. pressure on Seoul to participate in efforts to secure the waterway. Neither country has announced details of the discussions on this issue. South Korea sent a team to the United Arab Emirates last week, according to available information, to assess the security situation near the Strait of Hormuz.
The South Korean government said, following speculation about preparations for a military deployment, that it had made no decision on the matter. Iran, for its part, publicly warned against any possible military deployment to the region, saying such a step would lead to “grave consequences.”
