South Korea is considering joining the United States in securing the Strait of Hormuz. Protests against the move were held in the South Korean capital, Seoul. Demonstrators called on the South Korean government not to take part in what they called the United States’ “illegal war” in Iran, and demanded that troops not be deployed to the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
According to a report by the news agency AFP, demonstrators held the rally opposite the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Placards held by protesters read, “Do not join the war of aggression.”
The protest came as the country’s leaders are weighing what “contribution” South Korea should make toward securing the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been pressing ally South Korea for assistance in the ongoing Middle East war. Iran, meanwhile, has established tight control over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway critical to global oil supplies.
Outside the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, protesters chanted, “We cannot send our young people into a sea of death!”
According to AFP’s count, about 60 people took part in the protest. They said any form of military involvement in the Middle East would put South Korea’s economy and the lives of Korean nationals residing there at risk.
The protesters urged Seoul to avoid the path of war and instead pursue an independent, peaceful diplomatic approach.