It has been confirmed that the U.S. government has requested support for sea route protection from major allies and allies, including Korea, following a series of recent attacks on civilian ships by Yemeni Houthi rebels in the Red Sea area. This was through a video conference on ‘Protecting the Red Sea Route’ held on the 19th (local time) presided over by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Meanwhile, attention is being drawn to the fact that the Korean government has also announced that it is considering support measures at the request of the United States. Some predict that our military’s ‘Cheonghae Unit’, a convoy squadron in the Somali waters, may be involved in carrying out related missions.
According to AFP and Reuters, Secretary Austin requested support from each country at this meeting, saying, “The Houthi rebels’ reckless attack is a serious international problem that requires a firm response from the international community.”
This meeting was attended by defense officials from 43 countries, including Korea’s National Defense Policy Director Heo Tae-geun, as well as officials from the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
When this fact was reported on the 20th, our Ministry of National Defense said, “We are concerned about the seriousness of acts that threaten international order, such as ‘freedom of navigation’, following recent attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea area.” “We are making every effort to ensure safe passage.”
Prior to this, when the United States proposed a multinational security plan called ‘Operation Guardians of Prosperity’ with the goal of ‘restoring the safety of the Red Sea’, 10 countries, including the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain, participated. He has declared his intention.
For this reason, there is speculation that our military may also play a role in directly or indirectly supporting this operation in the future.
The US-led ‘Operation Guardians of Prosperity’ is expected to be an expansion of the existing ‘Combined Naval Command (CMF) Task Force 153’ (CTF-153).
CTF-153 is one of the five fleets under the CMF, a naval alliance of 39 countries operating in the Middle East, and its main mission is to respond to terrorism and piracy in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In our military, the ‘Cheonghae Unit’ is currently participating in CTF-151, another fleet under CMF. The 41st Cheonghae Unit’s ‘Yangmanchun’ (DDH-Ⅰ) is a Gwanggaeto the Great class naval destroyer that was deployed in 2000.
However, considering the impact on Korea’s relationship with Iran, which supports the Houthi rebels, and energy and defense industry cooperation with other Middle Eastern countries, some point out that “there is a need to be cautious about the Cheonghae unit directly intervening in the Red Sea situation.” .
The government is also said to be considering not only military support to ‘protect the Red Sea route’ but also other diplomatic and economic support measures.
In relation to this, the Ministry of National Defense also stated, “We will closely monitor the situation and review specific contribution measures related to the situation in the region through future consultations with relevant ministries.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.