South Korea plans to expand its Cheonghae anti-piracy mission from the Gulf of Aden to international waters south of Oman, while adding aircraft and mine-clearing capabilities. The proposal still requires parliamentary approval and would not authorize operations inside the Strait of Hormuz.

The Defence Ministry outlined the plan on November 5. A revised deployment motion passed a vice-ministerial meeting and was expected to go to the National Assembly after Cabinet approval and presidential endorsement the following week, the Korea Herald reported.

The proposed operational area would reach waters near Duqm, roughly 650 kilometres from the strait. In its public briefing, the ministry specifically distinguished the waters south of Oman from the Gulf of Oman and said South Korea would maintain its principle of not intervening in the war.

The additions would include a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal team and uncrewed mine-clearing equipment. The personnel ceiling would rise by 75 to 395, according to Yonhap and the Korea Herald.

Officials presented the expansion as a response to increased piracy and gaps in maritime security as other naval forces concentrated elsewhere in the region. Protecting South Korean citizens and merchant shipping remains the stated purpose of the mission.

The mine-clearing equipment also prepares for possible future work to restore navigation through Hormuz. That possibility is conditional: the ministry said an end to the U.S.-Iran war or an agreement allowing safe operations would be needed. Operations in the strait would require separate parliamentary approval.

The Cheonghae Unit has operated off Somalia since 2009. Its current authorization expires at the end of 2026; the proposed extension would run through December 31, 2027. The announcement therefore sets out a planned expansion, not confirmation that the additional forces have already deployed.

Sources