Choo Hyun, South Korea’s foreign minister, again emphasized on Friday during a meeting with his American counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington that his country is ready to take practical part in restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Choo and Rubio held their first bilateral discussion since February at the U.S. State Department, and the Strait of Hormuz was one of several issues discussed between the two allies.

Lee Jae-myung, the president of South Korea, said on Thursday that Seoul would not dispatch its military forces in a way that would put the country into a war outside its borders, but added that South Korea should carry out at least limited steps to protect its citizens, ships, and energy transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Seoul has been considering how it might participate in efforts to restore safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but so far it has not announced the deployment of military forces.

On Thursday, before departing for Washington, Choo said that no decision has been made yet and that South Korea will prioritize international cooperation and the safety of its citizens.