Seoul: South Korea on Wednesday announced that it found it "unnecessary" to review a proposal by the United States to participate in its Strait of Hormuz mission. This decision emerged after the US President, Donald Trump, revealed that the US military would temporarily suspend "Project Freedom," aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation for commercial vessels through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

According to Anadolu Agency, the South Korean presidential office issued a statement declaring, "Suspension of Project Freedom makes Seoul's review of participation unnecessary." The statement followed Trump's call for Seoul's involvement in the mission, a demand he made on Sunday to secure vessel passage in the strait, currently obstructed by Iran and American forces. Initially, Seoul had indicated it was considering the US proposal.

The decision to forgo the review came on the heels of an incident involving a South Korean vessel, HMM Namu, which experienced an explosion leading to a fire while navigating the Strait of Hormuz, near the United Arab Emirates. This incident marked the first time a South Korean-operated vessel had been affected in the waterway since February 28, when the US and Israel commenced military actions against Iran.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung was briefed on the situation of the HMM Namu vessel on Wednesday. The vessel's 24 crew members were caught in the explosion, leaving it disabled. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun informed President Lee that the stricken vessel would be moved to a nearby port for damage assessment. The South Korean government has stated that determining the exact cause of the explosion and ensuing fire will take several days.