On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth strongly urged allies, including South Korea, to join the U.S. military operation Project Freedom, aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
During a Pentagon briefing near Washington, D.C., Hegseth addressed a question about South Korea’s potential participation in Project Freedom following a fire incident involving the HMM Namu, a vessel operated by South Korean shipping company HMM, near the Strait of Hormuz.
A reporter asked about South Korea’s willingness to join the Freedom operation, referencing President Donald Trump’s recent call for participation and mentioning the fire incident reportedly caused by an Iranian attack.
Hegseth responded that it hopes so, adding that they’re in contact with the vessel. Specifically, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and its maritime coordination unit are communicating with them.
The Defense Secretary emphasized that such targeted attacks reflect Iran’s indiscriminate behavior, asserting that the fire on the South Korean vessel was a result of Iranian military aggression.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that an explosion and fire occurred on the HMM Namu at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Monday while docked near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coast in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Panama-flagged vessel, operated by HMM, South Korea’s largest shipping company, had 24 crew members aboard, including 6 South Koreans and 18 foreign nationals. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Hegseth stated that just as it hopes Japan, Australia, and the European allies will step up, it also want South Korea to take an active role. It’s not passively waiting for them to act; it’s actively creating conditions that enable them to fulfill their responsibilities.
He noted that President Trump said via Truth Social, This is your ship, so it’s only right to join in protecting it. It strongly hopes they’ll heed this call.
The previous day, President Trump posted on Truth Social that the HMM Namu fire incident involved Iran attacking uninvolved countries during vessel movements associated with Project Freedom, which includes South Korean cargo ships.
Trump further asserted that now seems to be the time for South Korea to step up and participate in this operation.
