By Jack Kim and Kyu-seok Shim
SEOUL, March 17 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a phone call with his South Korean counterpart on Monday that cooperation among countries to secure the Strait of Hormuz is more important than ever to stabilise the global economy and oil prices, Seoul said.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun later declined to say whether Washington had asked South Korea to deploy a naval ship to the strait, despite intense questioning by members of parliament, some of whom suggested such a move could breach domestic laws.
“The question of how we’re going to respond to an ally’s demand is a very important one,” Cho said. “As we make a decision, I assure you we will act according to the constitution and the law,” he told a parliament committee hearing.
U.S. President Donald Trump has accused some Western allies of ingratitude after several countries rebuffed his demand to send warships to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. The closure of the strait has spiked energy prices and sparked fears of inflation around the world.
South Korea has said it would carefully consider Trump’s call for countries, which in Asia include South Korea, Japan and China, to deploy navy ships to the Middle East to form a coalition to ensure safe passage through the waterway.
South Korea already has some forces in the Middle East after deploying the Cheonghae unit in 2009 to escort its merchant vessels sailing near the Somali coast in anti-piracy operations and has since sent a rotation of destroyers with an attack helicopter and about 260 crew.
The Asian country is ranked among the world’s top naval powers, with a diverse fleet of more than 150 modern warships and submarines, largely deployed for regional deterrence and defence against North Korea.
SEOUL SAYS NO DEPLOYMENT REQUEST
Asia’s fourth-largest economy relies almost totally on imports for its energy, buying about 70% of its oil and 20% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Middle East, according to Korea International Trade Association data.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it had not received a request to deploy naval ships or troops to the Strait of Hormuz.
In his call with Rubio, Cho agreed on the importance of the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz for the security and economies of South Korea and other countries, and he suggested the allies continue close consultations, South Korea’s foreign ministry said.
The vital waterway has been effectively closed for most of the world’s tanker traffic since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 at the start of an intensive bombing campaign hitting targets across the country.
(Reporting by Jack Kim, Kyu-seok Shim, Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies and Michael Perry)
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