The statement from Seoul followed a call by US President Donald Trump urging South Korea to participate in efforts to escort commercial shipping through the waterway, a critical route for global energy supplies.

South Korea’s defense ministry said it would “carefully review our position” without committing to any deployment, adding that its decision would take into account international law, maritime safety, the alliance with the United States, and security conditions on the Korean Peninsula.

An explosion and fire were reported on Monday aboard the Panama-flagged cargo ship HMM Namu while it was anchored near the United Arab Emirates within the strait. All 24 crew members, including six South Korean nationals, were unharmed, according to the foreign ministry.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation, with South Korean authorities saying the extent of the damage will be assessed after the vessel is secured.

Trump said the incifent should prompt Seoul to join US efforts, suggesting the vessel may have come under Iranian fire, although this has not been independently confirmed.The Strait of Hormuz has seen sharply reduced shipping activity since late February due to ongoing hostilities involving Iran, effectively disrupting a key artery for oil exports.

The United States has launched a naval initiative aimed at guiding stranded vessels through the area, amid reports of repeated maritime incidents and exchanges between US and Iranian forces.

South Korea, which depends heavily on Middle Eastern energy imports, said it is participating in international discussions on ensuring safe passage through the strait. Officials also emphasized that any decision on involvement would reflect broader strategic and legal considerations, including domestic procedures.

The incident highlights growing risks to commercial shipping in the region, as governments weigh responses to protect trade routes while avoiding deeper military entanglement in the conflict.

Koizumi met Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila, alongside Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., with discussions expected to include potential transfers of used Japanese naval vessels to the Philippines, officials said.The visit comes as both countries expand security cooperation under a 2024 Reciprocal Access Agreement that allows their forces to conduct large-scale joint exercises.

The pact has enabled Japan to deploy around 1,400 personnel to regularly participate in the annual Balikatan drills alongside US and Philippine forces.Koizumi is scheduled to join representatives from 16 countries observing a key exercise in Paoay, where allied forces will conduct a live-fire drill simulating an attack on a decommissioned warship off the coast. Japanese forces are expected to fire Type 88 missiles as part of the operation.

The drills, involving US, Japanese, Canadian and Philippine forces, are aimed at strengthening interoperability and deterring growing maritime assertiveness by China in the region, particularly in the contested South China Sea.Officials said Japan’s recent policy shift lifting restrictions on lethal weapons exports could allow the transfer of up to six Abukuma-class destroyers to the Philippines, though details remain under discussion.

Before arriving in Manila, Koizumi visited Jakarta, where he signed a defense cooperation agreement with Indonesian authorities, reflecting Tokyo’s broader effort to build a network of security partnerships in Asia.China has criticized Japan’s evolving defense posture, warning against what it described as moves toward militarization, while US and regional allies have welcomed Tokyo’s expanded role in regional security.