South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said Friday that his government will not send troops or military assets into the U.S.-led war involving Iran, pushing back against public pressure from President Donald Trump.
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Speaking at a news conference, Lee stated there would be “no deployment of troops or dispatch of military assets to be involved in or intervene in this war.” He repeated the point several times, saying South Korea would keep its existing principle of non-involvement.
Trump has criticized Seoul for offering what he called insufficient help securing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route that has been disrupted by the conflict. He previously said he asked Lee to “give us a little hand,” while noting that U.S. forces remain stationed on the Korean Peninsula to deter North Korea. Joint military exercises between the two allies were scaled back earlier this year.
Lee left room for a narrower mission. South Korea is reviewing whether to expand the operating area of the Cheonghae Unit — a navy destroyer and support ships already on anti-piracy duty off Somalia — so they can operate closer to the Red Sea or Hormuz. He said any such move would be limited to protecting South Korean oil tankers, commercial vessels, and citizens, and would not support combat operations against Iran.
Domestic opinion is against a combat role. A recent poll found 55 percent of South Koreans opposed deploying troops to the conflict, versus 32 percent in favor. Memories of South Korea’s 2004 Iraq deployment under President Roh Moo-hyun, which damaged that government’s popularity, still linger.
Lee also said Trump “clearly wants dialogue” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and that Seoul has been doing preparatory work to facilitate possible talks, though he would not predict whether a meeting would happen.
The stance leaves South Korea trying to protect its energy imports — more than half of its crude typically transits Hormuz — without being drawn into a distant war that could invite retaliation against Korean ships, companies, or personnel.
