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President Lee Jae-myung acknowledges the audience after delivering an address at the 1st Korea-Central Asia Business Summit held at a Seoul hotel on the 16th. / Yonhap News

The South Korean government appears to be pacing itself over whether to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz. Although preparations seemed to gain traction after the Ministry of National Defense dispatched a fact-finding team to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week to assess local conditions, the momentum is shifting toward careful deliberation amid domestic public opposition and falling approval ratings for President Lee Jae-myung.

According to political circles on the 16th, the issue of deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz is not expected to be addressed as an official agenda item at the National Security Council (NSC) standing committee meeting scheduled for the 17th.

Initially, speculation suggested the government might share findings from the defense ministry team, which returned on the 10th, and begin full-fledged discussions, including whether to submit a motion for parliamentary consent.

However, when asked whether the troop deployment issue had been dropped from the standing committee discussions on the 17th, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official stated, "It was never on the agenda in the first place."

Analysts note that domestic political pressure lies behind the government's reluctance to rush discussions despite pressure from the U.S.

With President Lee's approval ratings recently sliding into the 30% range, voices within the ruling bloc are growing louder against pushing ahead with a deployment facing strong public disapproval.

Additionally, on-the-ground developments in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's response, and talks regarding a multinational consultative body held between President Lee and French President Emmanuel Macron appear to be influencing the government's calculations.

A lawmaker on the National Assembly National Defense Committee remarked, "Along with domestic considerations, relations with the U.S. will also play a critical role. Cheong Wa Dae has likely been briefed on the findings of the defense ministry's fact-finding mission and is probably seeking to align positions with France."

The lawmaker added, "Taking these factors into account, the government may have concluded that making a deployment decision at this stage carries too great a burden."

The government is also expected to factor in the outcome of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers' meeting scheduled for the 18th before reaching a final decision.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C., to discuss South Korea-U.S. relations, Korean Peninsula issues, and broader regional and global concerns. An exchange of views on the Strait of Hormuz deployment is likely to take place during the meeting.

                                                                                                            Hong Sun-mi