Gulf gamble: will South Korea step up for Strait of Hormuz security?

Gulf gamble: will South Korea step up for Strait of Hormuz security?The G7 summit could revive pressure on Seoul to join international efforts to safeguard freedom of navigation through the strait4-MIN READ4-MIN2ListenPublished: 8:00am, 17 Jun 2026Updated: 8:54am, 17 Jun 2026The expected reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under a US-Iran ceasefire framework could ease pressure on South Korea’s energy-dependent economy while creating a thornier diplomatic problem for Seoul: how much should it contribute to securing the waterway?That question is likely to shadow President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to the Group of Seven summit this week in Evian-les-Bains, France, where the wars in Ukraine and Iran are expected to dominate talks among G7 leaders and several invited non-member countries.Observers say the summit could revive pressure on Seoul to join international efforts – potentially including the deployment of naval mine-sweeping capabilities – to safeguard freedom of navigation through the strait, a vital energy chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.Select VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x