Hormuz deployment approved by 51.9%

A majority of Koreans support the government’s decision to dispatch troops to the Strait of Hormuz for a maritime security operation, a poll showed Thursday.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the country’s antipiracy Cheonghae Unit, operating in the Gulf of Aden, would expand its mission to the strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The move represents Seoul’s efforts to play a bigger role in global issues and keep its alliance with Washington solid.

In the phone survey of 502 people nationwide aged 18 or older on Wednesday, 51.9 percent said it was the right decision, while 33.1 percent expressed disapproval, according to Realmeter.

The margin of error is plus and minus 4.4 percentage points.

The outcome contrasts with that of the pollster’s previous survey, conducted on Jan. 10, which showed 48.4 percent of respondents were against sending Korean soldiers to the region and 40.3 percent for it.

Yonhap