SEOUL: South Korea is reviewing a phased contribution to efforts to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Wednesday, signalling support steps short of military participation, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Ahn told a press conference with South Korean media correspondents in Washington that he had conveyed Seoul’s position at a meeting with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Monday.

“We said at about this level that, fundamentally, we will participate as a responsible member of the international community and that we will review ways to contribute in a phased manner,” Ahn said, according to Yonhap.

Ahn said possible forms of phased support could include expressions of political support, personnel dispatches, information-sharing and the provision of military assets, while stressing that no detailed discussions had taken place on expanding South Korean troop involvement.

“There was no deep discussion on something like specifically expanding our military’s participation,” he said, adding that any decisions would need to follow domestic legal procedures.

Attack on South Korean ship

The meeting between South Korean and US defence chiefs came a day after Seoul denounced an attack on a South Korean-flagged vessel near the Strait of Hormuz last week.

South Korea’s presidential office strongly condemned the incident but said it was still investigating responsibility for the attack.

At the meeting, Hegseth said Washington expected allies to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder” amid rising global threats, citing US President Donald Trump’s authorisation of what he called Operation Epic Fury as evidence of the administration’s resolve.

He praised Seoul’s plans to increase defence spending and assume greater responsibility for the security of the Korean Peninsula, calling it an example of alliance burden-sharing.

Separately, Ahn told reporters Hegseth expressed understanding over South Korea’s position on a conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States, and the goal of completing the transition at an early date.

According to Yonhap, Ahn also said that the two sides exchanged views on other alliance issues including plans to build nuclear-powered submarines.

He said there had been no discussion during the talks about a reduction in US forces stationed in South Korea or about the strategic flexibility of US troops stationed in the country.

Kim Kardashian is facing a fresh legal battle after a New York man, whom her lawyers previously accused of filing a “meritless” lawsuit, vowed to overturn a court order requiring him to pay her more than $167,000 in legal fees. 

Ivan Cantu had originally sued the 45-year-old reality star after she accidentally shared his photo on social media in February 2024, mistakenly identifying him as a Texas death row inmate with the same name who was about to be executed. 

Although the defamation case was dismissed last November, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled on Monday that Cantu must reimburse Kardashian for her legal costs, despite his claims that the bill would destroy him financially.

The dispute began when Kardashian, a high-profile advocate for criminal justice reform, posted the wrong Cantu’s snap to her 350 million followers. 

While her team called it an “honest mistake” that was corrected almost immediately, the New York-based Cantu argued the mix-up caused him lifelong trauma, anxiety, and depression. 

His lawyer, Greg Sobo, told the Daily Mail on Tuesday that they are proud to stand by an “innocent victim who was slandered,” adding that Monday’s ruling is simply one step in the process of obtaining justice against the “rich and powerful.”

In the recent ruling, Judge Michael Small described Cantu’s argument, that it was unfair to make him pay because Kardashian is wealthy and he is of modest means, as “unavailing” on a legal basis. 

The judge noted that income disparities were irrelevant to the law, which entitles a prevailing party to recover reasonable attorney’s fees.

Kardashian’s legal team has been firm, stating that Cantu miscalculated by thinking he could “force a payout” based on her celebrity status, and that he must now face the consequences of his failed “gambit.”

However, the decision to aggressively pursue the $167,473.69 payment has sparked a backlash among fans and social media users. 

On a Kardashian-themed subreddit, the star was described as “petty” and “greedy” for chasing such a sum from a private family man when her own net worth is estimated at over $1.9 billion. 

Critics argued that while celebrities often do this to discourage frivolous lawsuits, Kardashian should have let this one go given that her team “royally messed up” by using the wrong man’s likeness in such a sensitive context.

As it stands, Cantu’s legal team remains confident that the order will be overturned on appeal, insisting that the current ruling is inconsistent with California law. 

Kardashian, who is currently linked to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, has yet to comment personally on the ongoing friction. 

For now, the case serves as a stark reminder of the immense power of a single social media post and the very different realities of those caught in its wake.

U.S. President Donald Trump will undergo a medical and dental checkup on May 26 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre.

The medical checkup was confirmed by White House on Monday, May 11, describing it as “a routine annual dental and medical assessment as part of his regular preventive health care.”

This marks his fourth disclosed medical visit since his return to office.

Trump is about to turn 80 this June, becoming the oldest person ever elected to the White House.

Health concerns for Trump have increased following his public appearances, showing bruises and wounds to his hands, along with bruises on his skin.

Trump’s doctor, Navy Captain Sean Barbabella, had stated that the bruises were due to “handshaking frequently and taking aspirin.” He reportedly consumes 325 milligrams of aspirin each day, more than is advised by his physicians, as a preventative measure against heart disease.

Despite increased health scrutiny, the president has dismissed all concerns. While talking to reporters on Monday, he said he feels “literally the same” as he did 50 years ago.

“I don’t know why. It’s not because I eat the best foods,” he said.