US President Donald Trump had called on South Korea to help the United States in the war with Iran. Flatly rejecting that call, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has made clear his country will not, under any circumstances, become involved in the war by deploying troops to the Middle East. At a press conference on Friday, President Lee said: “There will be no troop deployment that draws us into the war. I can say this very clearly. We will not deploy any kind of military equipment for that purpose either.”
Lee said, however, that South Korea is reviewing whether it should play a bigger role in securing naval navigation in the Middle East. As part of anti-piracy operations, a South Korean navy unit is already deployed off the coast of Somalia. “It’s clear we need to do something similar to the minimum role other countries are playing, for the safety of commercial shipping, crude oil transport and our citizens,” Lee said.
Trump has repeatedly criticised South Korea’s support in the Iran war as insufficient. The United States has also scaled back major joint military exercises with South Korea this summer, raising concern in Seoul.
South Korea’s president also said a meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could take place within the next few months, though he said that would require proper coordination on many fronts. “One thing is clear: President Trump wants to talk, and I want him to be able to do so,” Lee said. “We are coordinating to create an opportunity for dialogue between North Korea and the United States.” North Korean state media have so far shown little visible reaction to Trump’s repeated calls for a meeting. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Trump is pressing his aides to arrange a meeting with Kim Jong Un.