A senior presidential official said on Monday that South Korea and the United States are in communication regarding Washington's request to Seoul to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that Lee Kwan-young, the presidential secretary for public relations and communications, made the remarks after U.S. President Donald Trump urged South Korea and four other countries in a social media post to send ships to the Strait of Hormuz to counter Iran's attempts to close the waterway. Lee added, without specifying the main channels of communication, "This is a matter that needs to be resolved through sufficient consultations between South Korea and the United States, and I am aware that the two sides are in close contact." When asked if Washington had made an official request, Lee said the presidential office is trying to determine the "true intentions" behind Trump's statements, and that it also needs to confirm the U.S. government's official stance before making a decision.
