South Korea’s key anti-piracy unit will come under an on-scene commander’s tactical control during a multinational security mission under a motion to expand its operational scope, but such authority will be exercised in a “very restricted” manner, Seoul officials said Thursday. The defense ministry submitted to the National Assembly this week a revised motion to expand the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit from the current zone in waters off the Somali coast to south of Oman in the Arabian Sea, about 650 kilometers away from the Strait of Hormuz. The motion stipulates that the unit will be placed under the “tactical control” of an on-scene commander when it engages in multinational maritime security missions, led by the U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) or the European Union. Tactical control refers to limited authority exercised for the application of military force or tactical use of combat support assets within the assigned mission or task. “(A local commander’s tactical control) is a very restricted authority that can be exercised temporarily in specific regions,” ministr
