South Korea will not send military to support US war on Iran, defying Trump pressure

South Korea firmly rejected deploying its military to the Middle East to support the United States in its war against Iran, rejecting President Donald Trump's pressure to do so. President Lee Jae Myung made it clear during a press conference on Friday that the country would not be sending military assets into the region, stating "There won’t be deployment that would involve or enter war.

I can tell you that very clearly." South Korea maintains a naval presence off the coast of Somalia as part of an anti-piracy mission, but reiterated that the country would only take a minimal role in protecting navigation in the region. The decision to not deploy military forces to support the US war on Iran came after Trump criticized South Korea's perceived insufficient support for the conflict and scaled back joint military drills between the two nations in the summer.

South Korea's government has been debating the possibility of a military deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, although the idea has encountered domestic opposition. When asked about the progress of reaching an agreement with the US regarding Seoul's US investment commitments under its trade deal with Washington, Lee acknowledged that concerns over the commercial viability of the package were a significant obstacle.

He noted that while there were elements the two sides found difficult to accept, they were close to reaching an agreement. The South Korean president also suggested that a potential meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could take place in the coming months, although he emphasized that many factors would need to align for such a meeting to occur.