War on the Rocks, a Washington-based defense and foreign policy platform, published an op-ed from a South Korean opposition leader addressing the future of the Strait of Hormuz and the state of the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
The piece, titled “How South Korea Can Bring Iron to the Strait of Hormuz,” argued that the U.S. decision to redeploy THAAD assets to the Middle East over South Korean objections sets a damaging precedent for alliance trust. It also criticized the South Korean government for sidestepping the Strait of Hormuz security question in favor of domestic measures such as refinery price controls and odd-even driving restrictions.
The op-ed pushed back against the binary deploy-or-deny debate, proposing instead that South Korea leverage its defense industry capabilities to serve as the technological backbone for maritime security operations in the Middle East — building on its growing role as Europe’s arsenal.
War on the Rocks is widely regarded as the most credible digital policy platform within Washington’s diplomatic and defense circles, making the publication a direct channel for South Korean opposition perspectives to reach U.S. policymakers.