South Korea’s Lee rules out combat role in Middle East

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung declared on Friday that Seoul will not deploy combat troops or military assets in any way that could draw the country into the US-Iran conflict, drawing a firm line on one of the most consequential foreign policy decisions of his presidency.

"There will be no deployment that involves or intervenes in the war. I can tell you that very clearly," Lee said during a televised press conference at the presidential Blue House on Sept. 18. "We won't deploy military assets in any form to that end."reuters

Lee repeated the pledge three times during the conference, according to Al Jazeera, underscoring the political weight of the issue as his administration navigates between mounting pressure from Washington and broad domestic opposition to any military involvement in the Middle East.aljazeera

A Narrow Path Between Allies and Public Opinion

The president acknowledged, however, that South Korea cannot remain entirely on the sidelines when roughly 70 percent of its crude oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been severely disrupted since the conflict began with a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28. He said Seoul was considering expanding the role of the Cheonghae Unit, the Navy's anti-piracy force already operating near the strait, and that options such as maritime patrol aircraft, explosive ordnance disposal teams and mine-clearance capabilities were under review.upi+2

The announcement comes as US President Donald Trump has publicly pressured Seoul, claiming in an Aug. 16 Truth Social post that Lee had declined his request for assistance and subsequently ordering a reduction in joint US-South Korea military exercises. Iran has also warned that any country joining military operations near the strait would face "serious consequences".straitstimes+1

At home, 55 percent of South Koreans oppose any military deployment to the region, and Lee's approval rating has slid to an all-time low of 37 percent, according to a Gallup Korea poll released the same day.straitstimes

Diplomacy on Multiple Fronts

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is in Washington for talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, with the Hormuz issue, Seoul's $350 billion US investment commitment and efforts to restart dialogue with North Korea all on the agenda. Lee revealed that negotiations over the investment package had hit a snag, saying terms proposed by Washington were "difficult to agree with" on grounds of commercial viability.koreaherald+2

Lee also said a summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remained possible, noting that he had been playing a "preliminary coordinating role" to facilitate US-North Korea dialogue. Analyst Lee Seong-hyon of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations warned that if Seoul fails to meet Washington's expectations in the Middle East, it risks being "entirely sidelined in Washington's security architecture on the Korean peninsula" as momentum builds toward a possible Trump-Kim meeting later this year.reuters+1