Seoul submits plan to expand Cheonghae Unit mission for parliamentary approval

The government submitted a revised motion to the National Assembly to expand the mission of its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit, extending its operating area from the Gulf of Aden to waters south of Oman and adding military assets to protect shipping routes.

Under the proposal, the unit’s personnel ceiling would rise from 320 to 395, with the addition of a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team and unmanned mine-clearing equipment.

The additional 75 personnel would include 45 assigned to the P-8 aircraft and 30 to the EOD team. The new equipment would include unmanned surface and underwater vehicles and remotely operated underwater robots.

The revised mandate would also add support for restoring freedom of navigation along international shipping routes to the unit’s existing anti-piracy and vessel protection duties. The deployment would run through Dec. 31, 2027, subject to parliamentary approval.

The Ministry of National Defense said the expansion was needed as piracy increased off Somalia, partly because multinational naval forces had shifted toward the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea amid conflicts in the region.

According to the ministry, reported pirate incidents rose from 11 in 2025 to 36 so far this year, while pirate activity has spread toward waters south of Oman.

The ministry emphasized that the expanded mission would not involve Korea in the ongoing war involving Iran and the United States.

“We will not participate in or intervene in the war under any circumstances,” a defense ministry official said.

The official said the unit would operate only in waters south of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, and remain under the command of Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

However, the ministry acknowledged that deploying the EOD team and mine-clearing equipment would also help personnel gain experience for possible future operations to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We have not ruled that out and have taken it into account in our operational planning, but it is not the primary objective,” the official said.

Any future deployment to the strait would require a separate parliamentary approval and safe operating conditions, such as an end to the war or an agreement between Washington and Tehran.

The P-8 aircraft is expected to operate from Djibouti, although its exact base has yet to be determined. Additional personnel and equipment would be dispatched after parliamentary approval and consultations with Djibouti.

The Cheonghae Unit has operated in the Gulf of Aden since 2009, escorting commercial vessels and conducting anti-piracy missions.