South Korea weighs Hormuz military role amid US-Iran pressure

South Korea has sent a fact-finding team to the Middle East to assess a potential military contribution in the Strait of Hormuz, responding to US pressure while wary of Iranian retaliation. The move signals a shift from passive support to active consideration of a combat-adjacent role, though any deployment is expected to be delayed and coalition-based. The decision will test Seoul's alliance with Washington against its economic and security ties with Tehran.