(LEAD) Defense chief says received no official U.S. request on sending warships to Middle East

▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back attends a plenary session of the parliamentary defense committee in Seoul on March 17, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) defense chief-Middle East

(LEAD) Defense chief says received no official U.S. request on sending warships to Middle East

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS remarks; CHANGES photo)

By Lee Minji

SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry has not received any official request from the United States to deploy warships to the Middle East, Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Tuesday following U.S. President Donald Trump's call urging allies to send vessels to protect the Strait of Hormuz.

Ahn made the remarks at a parliamentary session after Trump renewed his call Monday for South Korea, Japan, and other allies and partners to join U.S. efforts to keep the vital shipping route open, stressing Washington has long provided security protection to those countries.

"The defense ministry has not received an official request," he told lawmakers when asked about the matter, adding he does not consider Trump's social media messages urging the deployment of warships constitute an official request.

While noting that the ministry has held various internal discussions prior to an official request, Ahn said such details are not yet at the stage where they can be disclosed.

He stressed that such a deployment "should be decided in consideration of national interest, public safety, the Constitution and law," and would be a matter that requires parliamentary consent.

The defense chief, meanwhile, pledged to maintain firm military readiness against "all possible situations" that could arise from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

"Going forward, our military will thoroughly maintain a firm readiness posture against all possible situations," he told lawmakers in a parliamentary defense committee meeting, taking note of what he called expanding military clashes across the Middle East.

"While securing the safety of military units dispatched overseas, the defense ministry maintains a strengthened surveillance posture against North Korea under close coordination with the United States," he added.

Last week, South Korea successfully carried out the mission "Operation Desert Shine" to bring home safely 204 nationals from Saudi Arabia with a military transport aircraft.

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