Rubio says Korea, other allies will 'benefit' from joining efforts to secure Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON — U.S.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Korea and other allies would "benefit" from joining an effort to secure the crucial Strait of Hormuz, noting that some of them "may eventually do so" because it is "in their interest." Rubio made the remarks during a meeting with reporters on the margins of annual forums involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Manila, following a report in Seoul that U.S.

President Donald Trump's administration recently requested Korea to deploy a warship to help secure the strait.

"We didn't ask them that today.

Look, I think it's to their benefit, right?

If you look at the region, they heavily depend on oil and natural gas that comes from this part of the world," Rubio said, according to a transcript provided by the State Department.

"The straits remain an important source of energy for many of the countries in this region.

It's about 20 percent of the global oil that's purchased.

So ... we think it would be to their benefit to participate in an effort," he added.

The secretary said that the U.S. had conversa ...