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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and French President Emmanuel Macron greet each other following a joint press announcement at the Élysée Palace in Paris on the 8th (local time). / Yonhap News

Cheong Wa Dae stated on the 8th (local time) that while measures to contribute to the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz were discussed during the South Korea-France summit, no decision has yet been made regarding troop deployment or specific modalities. The administration maintains that while the broad direction toward participating in international cooperation is set, the precise level of contribution remains under review.

A senior Cheong Wa Dae official met with reporters at the local press center in Paris on that day and remarked, "The broad direction on how we will take part in international cooperation in the Strait of Hormuz has been laid out, but the specific details are still under review."

Prior to their bilateral summit, President Lee Jae-myung and French President Emmanuel Macron held a private luncheon at the Élysée Palace to discuss international issues, including contribution options for the Strait of Hormuz.

The senior official noted, "The two sides discussed and broadened mutual understanding regarding international efforts to safeguard freedom of navigation through the strait and maintain regional stability." The official added, "President Lee approached the discussions with the baseline position that, recognizing the importance of stability in the strait, concrete contribution measures should be fleshed out based on our national interests and domestic public consensus."

However, the official drew a clear line against interpreting the discussions as a definitive commitment to deploy troops. "The discussions during this summit were conducted strictly within the framework of our ongoing review process and went no further," the official said, noting that "the situation remains unchanged from before."

Addressing the Ministry of National Defense dispatching an on-site fact-finding team to the Strait of Hormuz, the official explained, "The deployment of the survey team should also be viewed as part of this review process," reiterating that "nothing has been decided." Regarding communication with Iran, the official noted that working-level exchanges had taken place.

When asked whether Seoul had engaged with Tehran as it weighs potential deployments to the Strait of Hormuz, the senior Cheong Wa Dae official stated, "Iranian officials did inquire during working-level discussions after seeing media reports," but noted, "There was no notable reaction, likely because our side remains in the review stage."

                                                                                                         Park Young-hoon