KOREA PRO Podcast

KOREA PRO Podcast

Hormuz deployment, France nuclear deal and Olympic Park protests — Ep. 149

Sep 11, 2026 · 24 min · 11 segments

On this week’s episode of the Korea Pro Podcast, John and Joon Ha discuss South Korea’s consideration of a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. They examine Seoul’s fact-finding…

On this week’s episode of the Korea Pro Podcast, John and Joon Ha discuss South Korea’s consideration of a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. They examine Seoul’s fact-finding mission to the Middle East, the military assets reportedly under consideration and the political dilemma facing President Lee Jae Myung as Washington presses allies for greater involvement while Iran warns of repercussions. They then turn to Lee’s summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and agreements spanning artificial intelligence, semiconductors and nuclear energy. The episode also examines the end of a 95-day protest blockade at Seoul’s Olympic Park, where police deployed more than 1,800 officers to allow sports federation officials back into their offices ahead of the Asian Games. Finally, they preview next week’s confirmation hearings for justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won and defense minister nominee Kang Shin-chul, as well as look ahead to the Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, which are set to begin on Sept. 19 despite recent flooding. About the podcast: The Korea Pro Podcast is a weekly conversation hosted by Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim, Managing Editor John Lee and correspondent Joon Ha Park, delivering deep, clear analysis of South Korean politics, diplomacy, security, society and technology for professionals who need more than headlines. Uploaded every Friday. This episode was recorded on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Audio edited by Alannah Hill

On this week’s episode of the Korea Pro Podcast, John and Joon Ha discuss South Korea’s consideration of a possible military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. They examine Seoul’s fact-finding…

Top entities: South Korea×61 Asian Games×8 Kim Seung-gyu×6 France×20 Strait of Hormuz×16

South Korea Considers a Hormuz Deployment0:42 – 4:03

0:42

Now, Joon-Ha, I want to say maybe two or three weeks ago, we were talking on this podcast about how ridiculous it was that Donald Trump was saying that South Korea needs to send military assets into the Strait of Hormuz.

0:56

And well, the ridiculous has happened.

0:57

Well, not yet, but kind of, sort of.

0:59

Yeah, so kind of, sort of, coulda, is that the South Korean government is currently looking into and examining the process of sending troops or deployments to the Strait of Hormuz.

1:10

They sent inspectors to the Middle East.

1:12

They did.

1:12

They did send a fact-finding team that...

1:16

Looks like

1:16

they

1:16

were going to UAE, but there's also, yeah, there's also reports that they made the trip to Bahrain.

1:21

There's also talks that they will be reporting their findings to the NSC, the National Security Council, led by Weisong Lap.

1:28

And apparently they're on their way back already.

1:30

Yeah, so they are on their way back and it does look like they'll report.

1:34

Very fast fact-finding mission.

1:35

Yeah, it was only announced, I think, a couple of days ago when the MND released, I think it's Tuesday evening this week, when the MND sent a statement to all the reporters from the press corps saying that we did actually send a fact-finding team to the Strait of Hormuz with an unidentified location.

1:52

Of course, there were reports beforehand suggesting that a fact-finding team from the Blue House or the MND was sent to the UAE, but it does look like a follow-up on their part.

2:03

So it does look like something that was in the works, but it was just something that was confirmed later.

2:09

Now, let's talk about what was reportedly being considered to be deployed and what is currently reportedly being considered to be

2:18

deployed.

2:19

Yeah, so it's quite muddy at the moment.

2:22

There's not really much detail coming out.

2:24

Of course, there was talk about a non-combat force just last week, at the end of last week, or a combat force assisting operations with a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, or minesweeping vessels that would help the U.S. effort against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage.

2:41

But of course, we've seen a lot of domestic opposition towards that, especially from factions of the Democratic Party, including quite a prominent former defense official and member of the Defense Committee, Mr. Kim Byung-joo, who has a

2:55

former general himself.

2:56

Yeah, a former deputy commander of the CFC who has said that it's not prudent for South Korea to send troop deployments to a war zone straight of Hormuz, but instead sided with what we're going to get to now, which is the multinational effort led by the UK and France.

South Korea Considers a Hormuz Deployment0:42 – 4:03

0:42

Now, Joon-Ha, I want to say maybe two or three weeks ago, we were talking on this podcast about how ridiculous it was that Donald Trump was saying that South Korea needs to send military assets into the Strait of Hormuz.

0:56

And well, the ridiculous has happened.

0:57

Well, not yet, but kind of, sort of.

0:59

Yeah, so kind of, sort of, coulda, is that the South Korean government is currently looking into and examining the process of sending troops or deployments to the Strait of Hormuz.

1:10

They sent inspectors to the Middle East.

1:12

They did.

1:12

They did send a fact-finding team that...

1:16

Looks like

1:16

they

1:16

were going to UAE, but there's also, yeah, there's also reports that they made the trip to Bahrain.

1:21

There's also talks that they will be reporting their findings to the NSC, the National Security Council, led by Weisong Lap.

1:28

And apparently they're on their way back already.

1:30

Yeah, so they are on their way back and it does look like they'll report.

1:34

Very fast fact-finding mission.

1:35

Yeah, it was only announced, I think, a couple of days ago when the MND released, I think it's Tuesday evening this week, when the MND sent a statement to all the reporters from the press corps saying that we did actually send a fact-finding team to the Strait of Hormuz with an unidentified location.

1:52

Of course, there were reports beforehand suggesting that a fact-finding team from the Blue House or the MND was sent to the UAE, but it does look like a follow-up on their part.

2:03

So it does look like something that was in the works, but it was just something that was confirmed later.

2:09

Now, let's talk about what was reportedly being considered to be deployed and what is currently reportedly being considered to be

2:18

deployed.

2:19

Yeah, so it's quite muddy at the moment.

2:22

There's not really much detail coming out.

2:24

Of course, there was talk about a non-combat force just last week, at the end of last week, or a combat force assisting operations with a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, or minesweeping vessels that would help the U.S. effort against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage.

2:41

But of course, we've seen a lot of domestic opposition towards that, especially from factions of the Democratic Party, including quite a prominent former defense official and member of the Defense Committee, Mr. Kim Byung-joo, who has a

2:55

former general himself.

2:56

Yeah, a former deputy commander of the CFC who has said that it's not prudent for South Korea to send troop deployments to a war zone straight of Hormuz, but instead sided with what we're going to get to now, which is the multinational effort led by the UK and France.