(LEAD) Navy deploys 4,400-ton destroyer to Cheonghae unit amid ongoing Iran war

(ATTN: UPDATES with departure; CHANGES headline, photo) SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) -- A 4,400-ton South Korean destroyer departed from a naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on Friday for rotational deployment in an overseas mission based off the Somali coast, the Navy said. The ROKS Wang Geon destroyer departed from Busan, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to serve in the Cheonghae unit, which is currently on an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast. The Cheonghae unit's current scope of operation is restricted to waters off Somalia. But the possibility of expanding its operational reach to the Strait of Hormuz remains open, if the government decides to join U.S. efforts to reopen the waterway and the National Assembly approves the expansion. The latest departure marks the ninth deployment of the destroyer on an overseas mission, and the destroyer will be the 48th vessel to be deployed to the Cheonghae unit, according to the Navy. The contingent of around 260 troops, consisting of crew members of the destroyer, a boarding team of the naval special warfare flotilla, and an aviation unit operating Lynx helicopters, will be deployed on a six-month tour to the gulf. The Cheonghae unit is mainly tasked with escorting South Korean vessels in the Gulf of Aden and supporting international efforts to maintain maritime safety and respond to terror threats. In the event of contingencies, it will take part in maritime security operations led by the Combined Maritime Forces and the EU Naval Force Somalia. The South Korean mission has also conducted air defense drills and reinforced counter-drone systems to better brace for various threats that could arise, the Navy said. The ROKS Wang Geon destroyer departs from a naval base in the southeastern city of Busan on May 15, 2026, for operations in the Cheonghae unit for anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast. (Yonhap) The latest deployment of the destroyer comes amid speculation that the Cheonghae unit could be dispatched to take part in multinational efforts to restore shipping navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, such as the U.S.-led Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC), or the multinational mission led by France and Britain. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured allies, including South Korea and Japan, to support the efforts to keep the crucial oil shipping route open after it was effectively shut down in late February following U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran. During ministerial-level talks at the Pentagon earlier this week, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that Seoul will review making "phased" contributions to Washington's initiative in restoring safe passage in the crucial waterway. Ahn has cited declaring support, dispatching personnel, sharing information and providing military assets as possible means of participation. sookim@yna.co.kr(END)