Rubio, South Korea Foreign Minister Cho agree Strait of Hormuz key to global economy, Seoul says

SEOUL, March 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on a phone call with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Monday that cooperation among countries to secure safety in the Strait of Hormuz is more important than ever to stabilize the global economy and oil prices, Seoul said.

South Korea has said it would carefully consider U.S. President Donald Trump's call for countries including South Korea, Japan and China to deploy navy ships to the Middle East to form a coalition to ensure safe passage through the waterway.

Cho agreed with Rubio on the importance of the freedom of navigation in the strait for the security and economies of South Korea and other countries, and he suggested the allies continue close consultations, South Korea's foreign ministry said.

Japan and Australia have said they were not planning to send ships to the Middle East to escort vessels through the strait.

Trump repeated his call on Monday to countries including South Korea, Japan and China to deploy navy ships to the Middle East to form a coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The vital waterway has been effectively closed for most of the world's tanker traffic since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 at the start of an intensive bombing campaign hitting targets across the country.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio)