SOUTH KOREA PERSPECTIVE

South Korea finds itself in a delicate position. With 26 vessels and over 170 crew members immobilized in the strait, the stakes are both humanitarian and economic: 70% of South Korea's imported crude oil transits through Hormuz.

President Lee Jae Myung promised a 'practical contribution' to ensuring maritime security, but the government is still weighing its approach. The Defense Ministry said it would 'carefully review its position' on the American 'Maritime Freedom Construct' (MFC) while engaged in separate talks about the UK-France coalition.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held phone talks with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Saturday, demanding the resumption of safe navigation. It was the third such conversation between the two ministers since the conflict began. Seoul is weighing complex factors: international law, the US alliance, Korean Peninsula security, and domestic legal procedures.