South Korea proposes Cheonghae patrol expansion near Hormuz

South Korea’s Defence Ministry said the government will seek parliamentary approval to extend the Cheonghae naval unit’s mandate and expand its patrol area to waters near Duqm, Oman, closer to the Strait of Hormuz. The proposed change would add 75 personnel and a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft to the unit, whose current mandate expires at the end of 2026. The Cheonghae unit has operated in the Gulf of Aden since 2009, protecting commercial shipping from piracy. Under the proposal, its operating area would extend northeast to open waters south of Oman, roughly doubling its operational radius to about 1,930 kilometres, according to officials. Duqm is about 650 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz. A Defence Ministry official described the proposed mission as noncombat and said the unit would remain under South Korean command, operating independently of allied forces. The official said patrols would be restricted to open waters south of Oman, and the aircraft would not monitor Iranian territory, territorial waters or the interior of the strait. The government plans to submit the revised mandate to the National Assembly after Cabinet endorsement, which was planned for the following...