Former First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs' Sharp Criticism: "Deployment? I Don't Know the Purpose"
Dr. Jongkun Choi, Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Yonsei University and Advisory Board member of CUKPE
"The suggestion to deploy our troops out of consideration for national interests is a cliché that fails to deeply contemplate the true nature of this war."
Amid the government's ongoing review of deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz, Professor Choi Jong-geon of Yonsei University, who served as the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Moon Jae-in administration, criticized the "national interest" logic emerging from political circles. In a phone call with OhmyNews on the 11th, Professor Choi observed, "(The obsession with the logic of national interest) seems to stem from an obsession with 'having to curry favor with Trump.'"
Prior to the call, Professor Choi also shared his thoughts on the issue of troop deployment to the Strait of Hormuz on Facebook. He emphasized that "we must ask the United States first before discussing deployment," stating that troops should not be sent if there are no answers to three specific questions: the objective of the war, the method of ending the war, and the expected effects. He further urged the government to exercise caution, noting, "Defending Hormuz is not the same as participating in a war against Iran. Entering a war with no visible exit and sharing the military burden of the United States is a completely different matter."
He also raised questions about the particularly pronounced pressure on South Korea to deploy troops. Professor Choi wrote, "Even major U.S. allies do not want to enter this war," adding, "I wonder why it is us, and why now." He also pointed out that negotiations with the U.S. have been "at a standstill for three months." Regarding expectations from some quarters—such as "sending troops to Hormuz might speed up nuclear submarine fuel negotiations" or "make the U.S. more proactive in revising the nuclear cooperation agreement"—he drew a line, stating, "Military service is not a down payment for negotiations." Below is a Q&A reconstruction of the phone conversation with Professor Choi.
"Isn't there an obsession with currying favor with Trump?"
- I recently posted on Facebook about the issue of deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz. Why?
"The government says it 'considers national interests and public sentiment,' but while this is common language, it is a cliché that fails to deeply contemplate the essence of this war. I do not understand the context in which the term 'national interest' should be used regarding the issue of deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz. Even though the U.S. is waging a war with no exit strategy, I suspect there is an obsession with 'having to curry favor with U.S. President Donald Trump.'"
- What is the biggest problem with the deployment?
"Our soldiers, whom we call the 'Republic of Korea Armed Forces,' are all someone's sons, fathers, and husbands. I do not understand how they can mention the equivalence of value by claiming that 'deploying troops to the Strait of Hormuz benefits the national interest' when referring to them. If it were a case of sending peacekeeping forces or a relief team for flood damage recovery in Nepal, it could be viewed as a just cause and a good deed, even if it is dangerous. However, I do not understand the purpose of this deployment to the Strait of Hormuz."
- In what specific ways is that the case?
"Are you telling our soldiers to go and take out targets for the Iranian military? If so, our country could effectively be put in a state of combat with Iran. If not, are you telling us to go open the Strait of Hormuz? Even U.S. vessels cannot enter there. I do not understand what purpose this controversial deployment is intended to serve."
- In a Facebook post, you argued that before discussing troop deployment, we must ask the U.S. three questions: the objectives of the war, the method of ending it, and the expected effects. Do you mean these are the minimum conditions to begin discussions on deployment?
"No. I meant that the situation can only be assessed if we do that. How can we get involved when we don't know the situation? The U.S. currently has no so-called exit strategy and is not negotiating with us. They are just hitting us (demanding deployment) and waiting as if the U.S. midterm elections in November serve as a bridgehead. So why should we get involved there?"
- Have you reached any conclusions regarding why U.S. pressure is being applied only to Korea, why it is happening now, and the reasons behind it?
"That is something you should ask the government. I cannot access inside information. Just like a journalist, I am speaking my thoughts on the deployment issue based on media reports."
- Do you believe the war will not end easily?
"I have thought that this war would never end. I have visited Iran three times. I went there as a Vice Minister to negotiate when the Hankook Chemi was seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Based on my experience and intuition, it seems that Iran will not let go of this war until the Trump administration ends. Of course, this is just my opinion, so I could be wrong. Everyone expected this war to end in a few weeks, and every weekend, people talked as if the war would be over."
(This article was published as an interview with Jongkun Choi in ohmynews.com. The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official stance of the center.)
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