Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 4. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
The Blue House said Wednesday that Korea no longer needs to review participation in the U.S.-led "Project Freedom" initiative, a tricky issue for Seoul, as President Donald Trump temporarily suspended the operation amid negotiations with Iran.
"We had intended to review the Maritime Freedom Construct initiative and Project Freedom, but since the latter's operation has been suspended, a review is no longer necessary," National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said in a press briefing at the Blue House in Seoul, referring to two initiatives led by the United States to allow for safe passage through the strait.
Seoul has been in a sticky position as Washington has pressured Korea to join its new Project Freedom initiative, launched Sunday, a U.S. operation to guide vessels stranded in the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, a global chokepoint, in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that began in late February.
Seoul was put in the spotlight as Trump announced in a Truth Social post on Monday that Iran has "taken shots" at a Korean cargo ship and other "unrelated nations," adding that "perhaps it's time for South Korea to come and join" Project Freedom.
Earlier Monday, Seoul confirmed that a Korean-operated cargo ship, HMM Namu, caught fire following an explosion earlier that day while anchored near the United Arab Emirates (UAE), leaving it disabled in the Strait of Hormuz. There were no casualties among the 24 crew members. The Panama-flagged ship was initially suspected to have been attacked, but the Korean government said authorities will investigate the exact cause of the incident, which could be determined after the vessel is towed to port.
Trump appeared to up the pressure as he claimed at a White House event on Tuesday that the Korean-operated vessel was "shot at" by Iran the previous day after Korea decided to go at it "alone" and "got the hell knocked out of it."
Likewise, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, called on Seoul and other countries to "step up" efforts to help reopen the strait.
However, on Tuesday, Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he is temporarily halting Project Freedom, claiming that "great progress" has been made in U.S. peace negotiations with Iran.
Leading up to the temporary suspension, the Blue House said it was "considering" the initiative but remained cautious while reviewing its options.
Wi told reporters on Wednesday that Seoul was already reviewing the Maritime Freedom Construct initiative proposed by the United States, and that after Trump introduced Project Freedom, the government began reviewing the latest White House proposal "based on our fundamental position regarding maritime transit.”
“The safety of international sea routes and freedom of navigation are very important to us,” Wi said. “Therefore, we intend to review international movements for freedom of navigation and engage in necessary participation and cooperation.”
The HMM Namu is currently being towed, and after it enters a port in Dubai, an investigation team will go to the UAE to assess the situation, government officials said Wednesday.
During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun presented a report on developments in the war in the Middle East, including Trump's announcement of a temporary suspension of Project Freedom.
Cho said Seoul will "closely monitor the direction of the situation in the Middle East, including progress in negotiations between the United States and Iran."
The minister reported on the fire aboard the stranded cargo ship, but Lee made no separate comments on the matter.
However, Lee asked about Trump's stated suspension of attacks during the meeting.
The Iranian Embassy in Seoul, in a statement on Wednesday, said Tehran "firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the incident involving damage to a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz."
댓글
0