S Korea-Hormuz Strait

S. Korea weighs Trump's ship request with careful consideration

SEOUL, March 15 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office said Sunday it will carefully deliberate its response to U.S. President Donald Trump's request to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz in close consultation with Washington.

A presidential official said South Korea had taken note of Trump's social media post on the crucial oil shipping route in the Gulf region.

On Saturday, Trump called on South Korea and other countries affected by Iran's attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz to send ships to keep the strait "open and safe," amid growing concerns over disruptions to shipping along the waterway. Trump also identified China, France, Japan and Britain as nations impacted by "this artificial constraint" on the strait applied by Iran.

"The safety of international maritime routes and the freedom of navigation align with the interests of all countries and are protected by international law," the official said. "Based on that, we hope the global maritime logistics network will normalize quickly."

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