Seoul, March 23 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to host a governmentwide regular security meeting Monday to assess the nation's security posture and response measures, Cheong Wa Dae said.
The integrated security meeting, the first since he took office in June 2025, comes with the US-Israeli war against Iran entering its fourth week and appearing to move to another dangerous escalation as US President Donald Trump gave an ultimatum to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The meeting will bring together Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung, acting National Police Agency chief Yoo Jae-seong and senior officials from relevant ministries to discuss coordinated security measures.
Attention is expected to focus on whether Lee will address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed following Iranian retaliatory strikes in response to US-Israeli military operations.
Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae denied a media report that National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac has been planning to visit Washington, Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea was in close talks with countries, including Iran, to ensure a swift normalization of the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran said it was ready to allow Japan-bound vessels to pass through the sea route virtually closed in the wake of the Middle East crisis, a foreign ministry official had said on March 21.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier told the Kyodo News Agency that Tehran was ready to allow Japan-bound vessels to pass through the key oil shipping route after appropriate consultations with Tokyo.
The Strait of Hormuz accounted for more than 20 per cent of the world's oil trade passes.
All lanes accessible to oil tankers fell within Iranian territorial waters, making the strait a critical lifeline for countries in East Asia, including South Korea and Japan.
On March 20, Seoul had said it would join seven countries, including European nations and Japan, in their joint statement condemning Iran's attacks in the Gulf and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
--IANS
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