Satellite photo of Strait of Hormuz (NASA)

By Kim Hyelin

High-ranking military officials from 35 countries including Korea on March 26 held a videoconference led by France on restoring navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Jin Yong-sung, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul, took part in the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by French Armed Forces Chief Fabien Mandon.

In a news release distributed immediately after the meeting, the French Ministry of Defense said the videoconference sought "to organize the resumption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after hostilities cease," ruling out offensive military intervention. The meeting, it added, was "purely defensive in nature and unrelated to ongoing military operations in the region."

The statement said the meeting gathered global stances on maritime navigation safety in the strategically important region.

Domestic media reported that the JCS did not decide on specific military support at the meeting. Seoul will also carefully review government-level responses in close consultation with relevant ministries, while closely monitoring the movements of the international community in the strait.

If another meeting is held, the JCS will make a separate decision on whether to attend after considering the overall circumstances.

The multilateral videoconference came amid efforts to seek a joint international response to the strait's blockade triggered by the armed conflict of the U.S. and Israel against Iran.

Most allies of the U.S. in Europe and Asia declined the request of U.S. President Donald Trump to send warships to reopen the strait.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr