“It is natural to protect the lives of the people… Other ship safety guarantees”
It is unusual for the military authorities to dispatch the 33rd Jin Choi Young-ship (4,400 ton class) of the Cheonghae unit to the capture of the Korean chemical substance carrier’Korea Chemie’ in Iran on the 4th (local time). This is because this is the first time that the Cheonghae unit, which has been focused on combating pirates, has been dispatched against the government of another country. Some point out that it is a hasty move to put in the military before even negotiating diplomatic relations. The government is in a position that it has shown its will to protect the lives of the people.
On the 5th, Choi Young-ship of the Cheonghae unit arrived in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz to respond to the arrest of a Korean national chemical carrier by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The picture shows Choi Young-ham’s mission in 2019. yunhap news
Korean oil tanker’MT-Korea Chemie’ captured by revolutionary garrison
‘Revolutionary Guards’ captured are not pirates, but regular Iranian soldiers
Defense Ministry spokesman Bu Seung-chan said at a regular briefing on the 5th, “The Cheonghae unit arrived near the Strait of Hormuz this morning in our view. Said.
Although the Cheonghae unit was dispatched to the scene, there are not many military measures that can be taken immediately. The reason why the Korean Chemi was captured was not because it was a pirate or illegal organization, but because it was the Revolutionary Guard, an organization under the Iranian regular army. Moreover, it is a normal sovereign act for Iran to seize ships for maritime pollution. This means that it is not an environment in which the Cheonghae unit can immediately enter into a military operation as in the’Operation Arden Bay Dawning’, which rescued 21 crew members of the Samho Jewelry who were kidnapped by Somali pirates.
On the contrary, there are concerns that the ROK government’s action to publicly dispatch warships could stimulate Iran and increase military tension. As if conscious of this, the military authorities decided not to disclose any details of the Cheonghae unit’s specific operations so that this dispatch would not be viewed as a military operation.
On the afternoon of the 5th, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the 2nd Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong-moon and officials are talking about Iran’s measures to detain Korean ships. Provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The government “protects the lives of the people, of course… the effect of ensuring other ships safety”
However, the government is in the position that this decision has shown its will to’must keep our people’. A government official said, “As long as the operation area of the Cheonghae unit was expanded from the Gulf of Aden to the Strait of Hormuz in January of last year, it could be seen as abandonment of the people’s life protection mission.” Currently, 20 people, including 5 Korean sailors, are on board the Korean Kemi.
The authorities believe that it will also have the effect of ensuring the safety of other Korean ships passing through nearby waters. In fact, it is known that the Cheonghae unit monitors the current capture situation and supports the safe navigation of other ships in and out of the area. There are about 6 Korean merchant ships a day traveling in and out of the Strait of Hormuz. The Choi Young ship is made up of 300 people, including a checkpoint and search team consisting of special warfare (UDT) soldiers and aviation squadrons operating maritime helicopters.
Some analysts say that it will help to share information with foreign authorities in Iran, where there is no military officer. Since the Cheonghae unit has been active in the Gulf of Aden in Somalia in Africa and the Gulf of Oman in the Middle East since March 2009, it is easy to grasp local information.
Seungim Jeong reporter [email protected]
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